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Sturdy whipped cream frosting is made with heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and gelatin! It is a cinch to make! Ditch the whipping cream that melts and learn how to make the BEST sturdy whipping cream to grace the top of your desserts!
Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting
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—Want the recipe right now? Simply scroll straight to the bottom!—
There are a few recipes I think every home cook needs to know, and stabilized whipped cream icing is one of them. It's also one of the most versatile icings out there! It's perfect for piping shapes and details and it's easy to color and to flavor. It requires minimal ingredients like heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar and gelatin. It takes a minimal amount of time too!
You've probably had this whipped cream frosting before, and maybe you didn't realize it. It's quite popular for ice cream cakes. In some ways, it's just like your favorite whipped topping except it is totally stable. Have you ever squirted a pretty shape of whipped cream onto a piece of pie, only to have it melt and look not so pretty? This frosting totally eliminates that from happening! In the food blogging world, sometimes you can't take a picture before the whipped cream melts. That is when this really comes in handy!
So let's get started. This frosting can be made and then used to frost a cake, just like any other frosting recipe. My favorite thing to do with the frosting is to pipe shapes. The reason I love to do this is because I find it much easier to pipe directly onto the wax paper, and then position it onto a cake or pie. I don't have to trust my shaky hand on the final product!
In the picture above, I'm using Russian piping tips. There are many reasons why these are my favorites- but the first reason is because they are big enough to hold up to the sturdiness of the stabilized whipped cream frosting. If you put on a piping tip that is too small, it just won't squeeze through. These tips pipe the whip cream through like butter! I absolutely adore the ruffle like shapes they create too!
How cute are those swirls? Once I've piped the shaped onto the wax paper, I pop the cookie sheet into the freezer for about 15-20 minutes. Truth be told, I've left them in the freezer for a week and they still tasted great. If you do leave them in for more than 20 minutes, I would cover with cling film once they are stable, frozen and will hold their shape.
If you plan to leave them in the freezer past 2 hours, I would remove them from the wax paper (as described below) and place in freezer bags or plastic freezer containers.
From there, it's pretty easy to move the flowers from the cookie sheet to your frosted cake, or in my case, a pie. The offset spatula is the key to this. Simply run it below the flower shape, and it will then come off the wax paper. Use the spatula to then place it where you'd like it to go. The good news? I *might* have dropped one, and it was fine. Because it's a stable whipped cream shape, no one was the wiser. LOL.
And here is the finalized look!
This is a special sneak peak of a new fall recipe coming in the next few weeks- an old fashioned molasses pumpkin pie. Good news, I've since published the recipe for Molasses Pumpkin Pie! In case your craving other pumpkin things- be sure to check out my easy homemade pumpkin frosting that can be used on all your fall breads like pumpkin pie spice cake loaf or just to dress up plain cupcakes!
This was one of the first recipes that I used stabilized whipped cream on, and it was the game changer that started the ball rolling. At Thanksgiving dinner I will now have these whipped cream flowers available for all my guests! Here are some other recipes I've posted on the blog that utilize my sturdy whipped cream frosting or piped flower shapes on:
Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
What do you need to make stabilized whipped topping frosting?
The steps are simple and the full recipe can be found at the bottom of the page! These are some hints and tips to get you started.
- A stand mixer or a heavy duty hand mixer is the key to getting the heavy whipping cream to whip. Give your hand a rest and invest in one!
- A very very very cold bowl. I put my stand mixer bowl in the freezer, along with the attachment about 15 minutes before making the frosting
- Gelatin. Some people use items like vanilla pudding or whip it powder, but I have found gelatin does the best without adding any extra taste.
- Vanilla extract or another flavor you prefer. The sky is the limit.
- Powdered sugar. By using powder, you eliminate any graininess that can be brought out by other sugars. This keeps it nice and smooth. It also adds a perfect hint of sweetness.
- For shapes and detailed piping, I recommend the Russian piping tips. They are big enough to allow the sturdy icing to go through, and make a great shape.
- For freezing shapes that are piped in advance, I recommend an offset spatula and wax paper.
FAQ's about Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting:
How long does the chilled whipped cream last? Does it deflate?
-The whipped cream lasts about 24 hours if you keep it cool in a refrigerator. It does begin to lose shape after that amount of time, but it will not completely deflate. I'd recommend making ahead within 24 hrs of serving, and consuming by 2 days.
Can you freeze stabilized whipped cream?
-Absolutely! That is one of the best parts. If you have any leftover, be sure to pop shapes into the freezer following the method I showed you above. Once you've placed them in freezer bags or freezer containers, they should last 2 to 3 months. Place in a fridge to thaw when you'd like to use them!
Have more questions for me? Leave one in the comments below and I'd be happy to answer them!
Additional tips for making stabilized whipped cream flowers:
- when adding the gelatin to the mixing bowl, scrape down several times as it really likes to stick to the edges of the bowl!
- for the best shapes, I find the Russian piping tips that have wider openings work well. The thinner cracks work, but are not as easy to use as the wider ones.
- if a small piece of gelatin gets caught in one of the openings, use tweezers to pull it out. This happens occasionally. It's pretty easy to see if an opening is clogged.
Recipe for Sturdy Whipped Cream Icing:
📋Recipe
Sturdy Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 ½ teaspoon gelatin knox brand, this is one pouch
- 3 tablespoon cold water
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla feel free to sub other extracts.
Instructions
- Before whipping your cream, place your beaters or mixer attachment, and your mixing bowl into a freezer for about 15 minutes to allow them to cool.
- In a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Stir, and allow to "bloom". This takes about 5 minutes.
- Microwave the gelatin mixture for 10 seconds. It will become a liquid versus the solid shape it had been (looks like ugly jello!). Stir to make sure everything is dissolved.
- In your chilled mixing bowl, begin whipping the cream on a low speed. Add in the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla. Move to a higher speed and watch for good peaks to begin to form.
- Once the whipping cream is starting to peak, switch back to a lower speed and slowly drizzle the melted liquid gelatin mixture in. Once it's in, switch back to a higher speed and continue to beat until it's reached stiff peaks.
- Place in piping bags and pipe shapes, or ice your cake. You can also place in the fridge for a few hours before using, but you may have to thaw a few minutes to get it to be more manageable.
- Once you've iced your item, place in a fridge to hold it's shape, or serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Jan Demayo says
This looks beautiful and I’m dying to try it. It doesn’t sound difficult at all. My question is I want to get that tip you used and I can’t find it anywhere. Can you tell me where to get it? Thank you
Melissa Barisic says
I'm making my daughter's wedding cake in October, in San Diego. I have made stabilized whipping cream frosting with Jell-O pudding, but would the Jell-O be a better option for the weather?
Schelly V. says
I always make buttercream, but am looking to expand to something not so sweet, this looks perfect. Question tho....can I pipe this directly on a cake and then is is necessary to refrigerate the cake once finished? Thank you in advance
LaShary says
I’ve tried your recipe in the past & loved it! But was curious to know if I had to put in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before using them every time?
I wanted to just place them straight to my treats & go. Would that defeat the whole purpose of the gelatin?
Sheryl says
Could I put this mixture in a whip cream charger? Or would the gelatin clog it?
Brooke says
Hi there - can you make this a chocolate whipped cream by replacing some of the powdered sugar with cocoa powder?
Anna says
Hi,
I was wondering if I can use this recipe to pipe roses on my cake. Would it also work for a grass tip?
Also, for the gelatin, can you use pectin or Jell-O instead?
Lastly, for the heavy whipping cream, would, by any chance, using coconut cream (coconut cream from coconut milk) work instead of using heavy whipping cream?
Thanks.
Judy Smith says
will this whipping cream last in the refrigerator on top of a 9x13 cake for a few days==making it for a restaurant to have in slices.
Jan says
Can extra powdered sugar be added or flavoring? Worried that it might break it down and not pipe well. Wanted a little more flavor....thankyou!
Elizabeth says
Hi,
I want to know if heavy whipping cream and whipping cream are the same , because the whipping cream which I get in Toronto is 35% , will it be good enough to use.
Donna says
Can you stir well drained can pineapple into the stabilizer whipping cream?DDD
Krista Reeder says
Can't wait to try this!!! I was looking for a more natural way to stabilize frosting without the use of pudding... Thank you!!
How do you make this a chocolate version?
Elsie says
Random thought/question: do you think it would work to add the gelatin to like a tub of cool whip?? Then put in a piping bag and decorate? Just curious.
Misha says
Is there any other way to heat up the gelatin mix apart from using a microwave?
Lashonda says
Hi,
I'm looking for a recipe to make icing like the one on this cake. Would this recipe work?
https://pin.it/ivtmt2u44lx4ka
Leanne says
I’m looking for a recipe that’s not so sweet to decorate my children’s birthday cakes. The majority of my family HATES buttercream. Would this recipe be a good substitute that won’t put us into a diabetic coma?
Nisa says
If I’m making like 48 brownie cupcakes do I just double the ingredients?
Donna Papaycik says
Could I use this to decorate a wedding cake? They want strawberries and cream, so I need something that is sturdy enough to decorate with, and will hold up for the reception.
Sarah says
I made this frosting and it came out great except the gelatin did not mix. I was pulling it out of the frosting in large flat pieces. How do I avoid that?