This stabilized whipped cream frosting recipe makes lightly sweetened, thick and fluffy, perfectly pipe-able frosting that doesn’t weep or lose its shape! This recipe comes together in 15 minutes and can be used to ice cakes or cupcakes or anywhere in place of store-bought whipped cream! Recipe includes a tutorial video!
A Sweet & Simple Frosting
I’ve received a record number of requests for this whipped cream frosting recipe, and here it is! While I love my existing whipped cream recipe and have bragged often about how stable it is, I’ve also advised that that one is not ideal for icing cakes or cupcakes.
Sure, it’s great, fluffy, un-fussy and so tasty, but if you want a whipped cream frosting, one that is guaranteed to hold its shape, not melt, and last for several days, you really need to stabilize it first.
This requires a simple extra step and a sprinkle of gelatin powder.
The end result is a frosting that’s lightly sweetened (those of you who want a frosting that’s “not too sweet” will love this one), fluffy and creamy, but still stable enough to pipe over cupcakes or frost a two or three layer cake. Pictured above it’s prettily piped over a batch of cupcakes that I made out of my vanilla cake recipe (of course I tossed in a few sprinkles for good measure!)
Let’s get to it!
What You Need
- Gelatin. This is what makes this recipe a stabilized whipped cream. Gelatin stabilizes the cream and keeps the frosting sturdy (even at room temperature) and keeps it from melting over itself or weeping, as classic, un-stabilized whipped cream may be prone to do. I recommend using unflavored gelatin, which, as the name indicates, doesn’t taste like anything so that the natural flavors of the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract can shine through.
- Powdered sugar. Those of you who don’t like sugary frostings will be thrilled to hear that there is only ½ cup of sugar in the whole recipe! (Compare that to classic buttercream frosting, which uses 4 cups or 8x as much sugar for the same amount of icing!). This is just enough sugar to sweeten the stabilized whipped cream and help it hold its thick, fluffy shape.
- Vanilla extract. Added for flavor. Of course I like to use my homemade vanilla extract for best flavor!
- Heavy whipping cream. This is the base of our stabilized whipped cream. It should be as cold as possible (without being frozen) in order to achieve a thick and fluffy frosting. You can use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream. “Whipping cream” will work, but since it contains less fat the results aren’t quite as stable as those made with the other creams listed.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I chose them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
- Add the gelatin to a microwave safe dish and add cold water. Whisk until the gelatin is smoothly combined with the water and set aside. The gelatin is the fussiest part of this whole (otherwise very simple) recipe. Make sure to follow my notes and you shouldn’t have any issue, though!
- In a separate bowl, combine cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. For best results, use a chilled metal bowl and chill your beaters, too! The colder everything is the better your results will be. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer and stop once the cream has begun to thicken, but just before reaching soft peaks.
- By now, your gelatin/water mixture should have solidified. Heat it briefly in the microwave just until it’s re-melted and briefly mix it with a whisk (you don’t want it to be very hot, but the gelatin mixture should be 100% liquid and totally smooth or you could end up with a frosting that stays runny or have lumps in your frosting). This usually only takes 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Turn your electric mixer to low-speed and, while beating the cream mixture, slowly whisk in the gelatin.
- Gradually increase the speed on your electric mixer until your whipped cream is fluffy with stiff peaks. It should look like Cool Whip, thick and fluffy!
It may seem counter-intuitive at first to liquify the gelatin and allow it to set up only to re-liquify it again by melting, but it’s important! This is a process known as “blooming” the gelatin, which ensures that the end result is not only smooth (rather than grainy or lumpy) but also that it stabilizes properly.
SAM’S TIP: While the cream must be beaten very well, it is possible to over-beat your cream, leaving you with a rough, curdled-looking mess. If you accidentally overdo it, don’t panic, you might still be able to salvage things! Simply add 1-2 Tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until you’ve reached the proper consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons this can happen. Most likely, you simply need to keep beating the mixture, it can take some time and requires patience! However, if your gelatin was very, very hot when you added it to the cream, if the cream was not cold enough, or if you are in a very warm kitchen, your cream may not thicken as it should. Set yourself up for success and make sure you follow the steps for blooming the gelatin and use cold cream and a cold bowl (and beaters, too!).
This frosting lasts up to 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge in an airtight container. While it does well at room temperature due to the gelatin, it’s still a dairy-based frosting and so is not ideal for high heat for long periods of time (such as outdoor parties in the summer!). I recommend keeping it chilled. At room temperature (below 75F/24C) I wouldn’t leave it out for more than an hour or two.
Unfortunately I don’t recommend it. If you have a cake that you’d like to use fondant with, I would recommend using my classic buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting instead.
There are many different methods for making whipped cream frosting, but personally I found that this method yielded the most stable results with the most authentic whipped cream taste.
I tried many methods including using more powdered sugar (made the frosting too sweet and did not last as long as this version with gelatin), using a food processor (didn’t hold its shape long enough and still melted), adding cream cheese (tasty, but changed the taste far too much) and using powdered milk (this worked fairly well, but did not hold its shape as long and modified the taste a bit). Ultimately I recommend sticking with the method written in my recipe below.
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Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (this is usually sold near the Jell-O in the grocery store)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons cold water
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Sprinkle gelatin into a microwave safe measuring cup or other small microwave-safe dish (preferably one with a spout to make it easy to pour later on).
- Add water and whisk gelatin and water together until all gelatin has been absorbed. Set mixture aside to sit for 5 minutes.
- While gelatin is sitting, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl (preferably a chilled metal bowl). Use an electric mixer to beat until the mixture is thickened, but stop shy of reaching soft peaks.
- At this point, check your gelatin. It should have solidified at this point. If so, pop it in the microwave just until the mixture has re-liquified. This usually takes me 5-10 seconds. The mixture should be liquid, but should not be very hot. Use a whisk to briefly stir the contents together to make sure they are smooth.
- With electric mixer on low speed, drizzle liquid gelatin into the cream. Slowly increase speed to medium/high then continue to beat until you have reached stiff, fluffy peaks.
- Immediately pipe or ice cake or cupcakes as desired, or use as desired in place of store-bought whipped cream!
Notes
Storing
I recommend using the frosting for decorating immediately after preparing for best results, but alternatively you may store in an airtight container in the fridge for several days before using as desired. Stabilized whipped cream will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. This recipe may also be frozen once it is piped onto your dessert.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Elizabeth
I was really afraid to try this because I thought dealing with the gelatin would be hard. It wasn’t at all. This comes together exactly like the recipe says it will. If you can read instructions, you can make this. Also, it’s delicious.
Kristen G.
I had been making Sam’s regular whipped cream (which is delicious) until I realized I needed a stabilized version. Well, no one will let me even make the other kind anymore. There is something about this one. Everyone says it’s “like Schlag,” and when I make it, I now have to make two batches because one disappears too quickly! Best whipped cream you’ll ever have.
Heidi Melendez
This makes a delightful frosting. My only complaint is that is doesn’t make very much and had to make triple the amount to do a three layer cake.
Priscilla
Just made this luscious stabilized whipped cream. I was a little bit concerned because I had never used gelatin I had always used cornstarch or cream of tartar to stabilize. But I thought, what the heck go for it, so I did. I am a granny 76 years old and I belong to women’s club and I was making a Bavarian Black Forest cherry cake today and needed tons of whipped cream. I did it all from scratch using a chocolate sponge cake and made my own cherry filling so I wanted everything to be perfect. I made one recipe of the whipped cream and it turned out wonderful. I used that to cover my cherry feeling and to cover the top of the cake and then I made another recipe to cover the sides. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for this recipe and I will never be without it now. The cake is absolutely gorgeous and I would post a picture if I had some way to do it.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it worked out so nicely for you, Priscilla! Your cake sounds amazing. If you’d like to share a picture with us, you can always do so in our Facebook group or tag us on Instagram @sugarspun_sam. We’d love to see it!
Catharine
My daughter does not like icing so we are going the cream root. Can I decorate the cake the prevouise night and keep it in the fridge till the next day
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Just make sure to store it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out 😊
Marin
Hi there!
I’ve made this a couple times now, and I keep getting gelatin globs throughout the frosting and stuck in my piping tip when decorating. Am I doing something wrong to cause this, or is that just part of how this is?
Thank you in advance! 😊
Sam
Hi Marin! That definitely shouldn’t happen. I would recommend watching the video to see exactly how I do it. 🙂
Susan D Myers
I am just wondering, At Thanksgiving I make a recipe using cranberries. (We call it Cranberry Goop). In this recipe, you grind the cranberries, then mix in some sugar and drained crushed pineapple. After letting this set overnight so the sugar dissolves you fold in whipped cream. Could I use the stabilized whipped cream frosting (minus the sugar) into this recipe? And do you think it would hold up better than just whipped cream?
Sam
Hi Susan! It would be sturdier than a regular whipped cream. 🙂
Christine
That’s great, our whipping cream is 35%
Thanks for helping!!
Christina
Tried making this recipe today. I did a four times batch. I’ve been mixing for 10+ minutes and it just looks like soup. It is not coming together at all…. Any advice? 🙏
Sam
If you have that much you may just need to keep on mixing. That’s a lot of cream to whip. Good luck! 🙂
Rachael
When would you add food coloring?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Rachael! You’ll want to stir it in briefly at the end. 🙂
Susie
I have question for you. Do you know of a way to use dry fondant sugar to stabilize frostings or whipped cream?
Sam
Hi Susie! Unfortunately I do not have much experience with it. 🙁
Louise
Was wondering if this could be made into chocolate frosting. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Louise! We haven’t experimented with making a chocolate version of this recipe just yet, but we think adding about 2-4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder with the powdered sugar should do the trick. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Amy
So can you pipe this and then refrigerate the cupcakes overnight for a party the next day?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Christine
I have a question, what fat content is your heavy cream, I’m in Canada & I want to make sure I get the right one.
Thank you!!
Sam
Hi Christine! I always use one that is at least 30% fat. 🙂