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 (65 g) powdered sugar
- 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).1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- Add water and whisk gelatin and water together until all gelatin has been absorbed. Set mixture aside to sit for 5 minutes.1 ½ Tablespoons cold water
- 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.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 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.
Carol Purdy
do you have to use the gelatin
Sam
Hi Carol! For stabilized whipped cream you need gelatin. I do have a whipped cream that isn’t stabilized though. 🙂
Jay
Will this hold up in high heat and humidity?
Sam
It will not, unfortunately. I cover this in more detail in the FAQ section above.
Von
Hi!
I’m excited to try this recipe!
I was wondering if I could build my 3 layer cake a couple of days a head of time? My cake will be traveling for a few hours in a cooler. But still, on the road. Do you think it would hold?
Sam
Hi Von! I think this will hold just fine. 🙂
Beverly
If I am.doubling this recipe, should I double the knox gelatin? I have made this recipe several times & just love it! So do those eating the cake!! But it seems when I double it there can be small clumps of gelatin.
Thanks
Sam
Hi Beverly! I would double the gelatin as well. I have done so without issue so I can’t say for sure why you are getting clumps. 🙁
Jess
This is easily the best frosting recipe ever! I doubled the batch and used a lot of food coloring. It was one of the most stable frostings I’ve ever worked with, and tasted amazing too. It was for an outdoor party, and it didn’t melt or run at all! 10/10 I will never use any other frosting.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jess! 🙂
Kristen G.
Can the whipped cream (either this one or the non-stabilized one) be frozen, and if so, for how long? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Kristen! It really depends what you plan on doing with it. Both of these do pretty well in the freezer though. 🙂
Lori Lippia
Excellent recipe! I always use whipped cream frosting, because well butter belongs on many things, but not cake! 🙂 I made this to frost a Bunny Butt cake and it was nice and firm but very spreadable. It tasted great and was an excellent canvas for all of the unsweetened coconut flakes I put on the cake. This is going to be my go to whipped cream frosting recipe. It’s going to be amazing on my Buche du Noel at Christmas time!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for commenting, Lori! We’re so happy the frosting worked out for your cake. ❤️
Maryann
Hello! Can I make a 3 or 4 layer cake with this whipped cream frosting in between the layers? Will it be stable enough or will the frosting melt/flatten and will the cake layers slide off? I really don’t want to use sickly sweet buttercream, but I know buttercream is better for sticking together layered cakes, so I am looking for a really stable light whipped cream recipe. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Maryann! We have stacked 3 layers successfully, but we’re not sure how much more it will handle simply because we haven’t tried it. If you try it with 4, please let us know how it goes 😊
Breanna
Can this frosting be colored with gel color?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Enjoy 😊
Laura
Won’t the gelatin solidify again once it’s put in the cold whipping cream. I tried this once before and it tasted great, but I ended up with solid pieces of gelatin. How can I avoid this? I’m planning on making some for cupcakes. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Laura! You can certainly make a lump-free version if you know what to look out for. We would suggest re-reading through the post; we talk about how to make sure you don’t get lumps in your frosting there. Good luck! 🙂
Pam
Hello,
This was my first time making frosting of any kind and it came out beautifully. I can’t believe how easy it was, appreciate the added notes.
Thanks for posting this recipe
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad the notes were helpful, Pam! Thanks for commenting ❤️
Lydia
Hello, I want to use this recipe for tres leches cupcakes for a baby shower! I will be multiplying the recipe by 6 I think.. will it come together fine in that big of a batch? Also, could I frost them the day before and store in a container in my fridge? Thanks so much! Love your recipes that I have tried in the past 🙂
Sam
Hi Lydia! Personally I would be worried about the gelatin cooperating. It can be finicky. I have done it in a double batch but that is it. I’m not saying it isn’t possible, I just haven’t tried it and would be hesitant to say yes. You could certainly frost the day before and store in the refrigerator. 🙂
Julie
Can this icing be colored/tinted?
Sam
Sure thing! You’ll want to stir in the color at the end. 🙂
Laura
Hi, could you tell me if this will do a layer cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It sure will! Our recipe makes enough frosting to cover a 2-layer 8” or 9” cake. Enjoy, Laura 😊
Lauren
I did it! Thanks to you. The taste and texture is perfect!
I really liked how you added the amount of ingredients in the direction’s section. It’s makes a difference when you don’t have a third hand to scroll back and forth. It might be helpful to add after 1 tsp of gelatin (not to use whole gelatin pack). I’m serving the cake tomorrow with fresh fruit, I know it will be a big hit.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! We’re so happy it came out so nicely for you, Lauren. And we’re glad that feature is helpful for you; we love it too!
Talisha
Good afternoon,
I have made this recipe several times but I have always used my hand mixer. I would like to try it in my stand mixer, but I was wondering if the paddle or wisk attachment would be better to use?
Thank you
Sam
Hi Talisha! I would use my whisk attachment. I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Chef Bruno
So I made this and it ended up going all runny. Didn’t hold its shape at all. What is up. Checked recipe after. And executed right. Looked good when done, but went south when I went to put it on an hour later.
Sincerely
Sad Birthday Boys
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Chef Bruno! We’re so sorry this happened 🙁 Did you make sure to whip your cream to stiff peaks? It sounds like it may have needed to be whipped a little longer.
Andrea
I would like to know if I can poor chocolate ganache over the whipped cream frosting.
Thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Andrea! If you chill the whipped cream, let it set, and use ganache that isn’t piping hot, we think it could work. 🙂