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.
Kay
I’ve always struggled making cakes with whipped cream frosting, adding powdered sugar to give it more structure, but the taste was always off, and I hated how the cakes would need to be devoured quickly to avoid a molten mess. This recipe has been a game changer. The whipped cream frosting tastes just as good as basic whipped cream, but it lasts so much longer! With a stand mixer, it’s easy to make a double batch, which covered a 9” round layered (2 levels) cake with a thin layer. If you’re doing elaborate decor, I’d suggest a triple batch (I was scrounging at the end of a double to make this cake work). Thank you so much for developing and sharing this recipe! Recipe deserves 5+ stars, but I wish there was a way to just jump straight to the recipe on mobile devices. Quite annoying to scroll through ads and a recipe story I’ve read several times already just to find the recipe (and then to accidentally over-scroll into more ads, reviews, etc., is frustrating when you’re strapped for time and just need to bake).
Sam
Hi Kay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! There should certainly be a jump to recipe button showing on your mobile device, so I’m not sure why it isn’t. I do have it enabled.
Beatriz
Can unflavored gelatin be used as a stabilizer in buttercream frosting?
Sam
Hi Beatriz! I’m not sure how it would work. Buttercreams are traditionally a pretty stable frosting.
Megan
What If I only have gelatin sheets. Can i use those instead of powder???
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Megan. We think they’d work fine, but you’ll have to check your box to see how much you’d need. Typically you need 4 sheets per 1 Tablespoon of powder, so roughly 1 1/3 sheets for this recipe. Your specific brand may have a different conversion though. Enjoy!
Stacey Powell
Every time I try this kind of recipe, adding gelatin, it turns into numerous gelatinous chunks and pieces in the finished product. How on earth do you avoid that happening?!
Sam
Hi Stacey! I would read and re-read through the post. I talk about how to make sure you don’t get lumps in your frosting. I think you can do it if you know what to look out for. Good luck! 🙂
Tiffany
Can I use regular jello if I don’t have gelatin on hand?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Tiffany! If you are using a jello mix you may need to use a bit more, as the added flavors and other ingredients dilute the actual gelatin a bit. It’s hard to say for sure exactly how much, but it’s definitely worth playing around with 😊
Brenda Rogers
Can you add more powder sugar then 1/2 cup if you want it to be a little more sweeter ?
Sam
Hi Brenda! You can add more sugar if you’d like. 🙂
vivian
I don’t microwave…What shall I do ?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Vivian! You can do the microwave part on the stove. 🙂
Ann
Hi Sam – Your petit fours were so delicious that I want to make a 3 layer cake with lemon curd filling, raspberry filling and this stabilized whipped cream frosting. Do you think this frosting be sturdy enough to create dams so I can put in nice thick layers of the fillings (plus some dowels so it doesn’t slide)?
Sam
Hi Ann! This should work well for as a dam. 🙂
Teresa
Have you ever tried making Chocolate frosting? Can you add cocoa powder or would that keep the cream from whipping into stiff peaks?
Sam
Hi Teresa! I haven’t experimented with making a chocolate version of this recipe just yet, but I think adding about 2-4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder with the powdered sugar should do the trick. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Tiffany
If the icing turns to liquified chunky mixture did I mix it at too fast a speed?
Sam
Hi Tiffany! It’s possible that it could have been over-mixed. I actually have a tip in the post about how to solve this issue. 🙂
Amanda
Do you think this would work with Coconut Cream and vegan gelatin?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Amanda! We can’t say for sure without trying it. If you do, will you please let us know how it goes? 😊
Suzy
How long can these cupcakes with the whipped cream frosting sit out without being refrigerated?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Suzy! We actually cover this in the post 😊
Laura Fies
Hi there!
Will be trying this recipe for cake and cupcakes for an outdoors summer birthday party.
My questions are about coloring this frosting.
Can it be colored? Is gel coloring the right type to use? And when would I add the coloring, especially to avoid over beating the frosting?
Thank you so much!
Laura
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Laura! You can stir in some food coloring when the cream is at soft peaks. We prefer gel because they provide more vibrant colors. 🙂
Jen
Let me preface this delivers as promised light stable frosting whipped up as directed! This was a blessing to find and not difficult at all- great instruction!
I will say I thought is could use a little more flavor… my own opinion as I used it on a strawberry shortcake cake. It was light, fluffy, and really mild (not at all sweet). I think I may add dried crumbled strawberries next time for flavor and the visual appeal of red strawberry specks.
Thank you very much!
Caitlyn
Would I be able to drizzle ganache over this frosting or would it be too warm?
Sam
Hi Caitlyn! If you chill the whipped cream and let it set and the ganache isn’t piping hot, I think it could work. 🙂
K
I made a cake with this, and had an outdoor party on a super humid day and it held up great! Everyone loved the light frosting and flavor! Thank you for a great recipe!
Kayla
Hi, will this buttercream set in the fridge like other buttercreams? Does it decorate well
Sam
Hi Kayla! It will set like a buttercream does. It is good for decorating. 🙂
Tonya Pinkerton
I’m making cupcakes for my grandson’s birthday. Can I use the frosting on the cupcakes and then refrigerate the cupcakes with the icing on them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Just know the fridge may dry out your cupcakes a bit 😊