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.Make it chocolate
Add 3-4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder in with the sugar for a chocolate stabilized whipped cream. If your cocoa is lumpy, make sure to sift before adding.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.
Annette
I could not find gelatin in my grocery store. Could I use pectin? OR may lemon flavored jello (i want this flavor anyway)
Sam
Hi Annette! I haven’t ever used pectin. It may not thicken as much as gelatin does. I would not recommend lemon flavored jello as it has additives and won’t work the same.
Angela
if I wanted to do a strawberry flavored whipped cream could I just use a strawberry gelatin?
Sam
Hi Angela! It will be a bit different. You would need other adjustments than just a straight substitution. I’m not sure exactly how to do it. 🙁
JENNIFER BINKO
Hello! I plan on making a red velvet tiered (8″ & 6″) wedding cake this July and the bride wants whipped cream frosting instead of cream cheese. Would this recipe hold up for tiering? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jennifer! We have stacked 3 layers on it. We’re not sure how much more it will handle simply because we haven’t tried it.
Sage
Hi! Just wondering if I would be able to double this recipe? Would I need to adjust any ingredients or is it ok to double everything? I figure it would work but I’m not sure about the gelatin. Thanks!
Sam
Hi Sage! You would want to double all of the ingredients when doubling this recipe. 🙂
Kris
I wanted to add some puréed blackberries and strawberries for flavor/color. Would this affect the stability of the icing?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kris! We haven’t tried it, but we think the berries might introduce too much moisture and could negatively affect the texture.
Ginny
Can I add mascarpone cheese to thi
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Ginny! We haven’t tried it, but we suspect it would work. We would probably gently stir the mascarpone with a little bit of sugar and then fold the frosting and the mascarpone mixture together 🙂
Susan
I’ve had success with adding 2 T of white chocolate instant pudding to the mix. It has kept my whipped cream stable for 4-5 days, and didn’t alter the color of the mixture.
Kelsey
Perfect for keeping shape while decorating ❤️
Richard Boody
LOVE it the best frosting ever tasted
Lisa Oyama
Can I add food coloring to this?
Sam
Hi Lisa! You can add food coloring. You will want to stir it in briefly at the end. 🙂
Rebecca
Exactly what I needed ♥️
Ava
I’ve made this icing before and loved it! But I was wondering if I could decorate cupcakes using this and then store them in the fridge overnight to be served at a party the next day?
Sam
Hi Ava! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! You can certainly make it the day before and refrigerate on the cupcakes overnight. 🙂
Kim
Can I add food coloring to this?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes! Enjoy 😊
Caitlin Tedrick
This turned out amazing! I live in Florida and it held shape!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! We’re so happy to hear that, Caitlin 🥳
LT
Thank you for this recipe! Love it and have shared it with friends. We live in SE Asia and this holds ups even in the warm temperatures here.
Sam
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit! 🙂
Mikayla
Wound up with gelatin bits all throughout the “icing”. As a vegetarian, I found it so off putting. Just smelling it was difficult, and I was willing to consume it for my daughter’s birthday, but the clumps really disgusted me.
Sam
Hi Mikayla! That’s frustrating and would not be pleasant. Unfortunately this is a result of the gelatin not being prepared properly; your best bet if this happens is just to start over. I do discuss in detail how to avoid this in the post, video and the recipe (I would take a look at the video if you haven’t already). Most likely the gelatin was simply not dissolved properly, was heated too much in the microwave (I’m suspicious this may be it since you described a smell, which usually only happens if the gelatin is exposed to high heat) or added too quickly. I really hope this helps so you don’t experience this again in the future!
Laurette Elias Moore
Hello SC,
I am using it on my cookie and cream cheesecake. I want to make it chocolate with cocoa powder. do I add it with the powder sugar? Maybe 2 tbsp?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Laurette! If you check the recipe notes, you’ll see instructions for a chocolate version 😊
Monica Forbes
Ohmygoodness…. I will never use another whipped cream frosting. Ever. I followed the directions exactly as written (with one teeny tiny alteration in the extract – I used 1/2 tsp Vanilla and 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract).
Not only could I sit and eat this with a spoon, as it is not overly sweet AT ALL, but it piped beautifully and is keeping it’s shape.
Thank you for doing all the testing and experimenting – then sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to take these cupcakes with this perfect frosting to my step-daughter’s Baby Shower.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you loved it so much, Monica! 🩷
Sarah
Does this recipe pipe well? How about coloring? I need to make a floral cake and am looking for a delicious whipped cream frosting recipe, like this seems to be!
Sam
Hi Sarah! You can see it piped on cupcakes in the photos throughout the post. You can color it. You will want to stir it in briefly right before it is done. Be sure not to over-mix it. 🙂
Shanika
hi! If I decorate my cake the day before and throw it in the fridge, will it hold up the same way as if I had decorated it the same day?
Sam
Hi Shanika! You shouldn’t have any issues making it the day in advance. 🙂