Whipped Cream Frosting
Whipped cream frosting is the perfect light and fluffy addition to delicious cupcakes. Make this easy recipe the next time you want a delicate sweet topping on your fresh baked goods.
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Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe
Buttercream frosting is amazing, but sometimes a light frosting pairs better with certain cupcakes. Once I tried whipped cream frosting on my strawberry shortcake cupcakes, I couldn't eat them with anything else!
This fluffy frosting has the best texture and a light sweet flavor. It pairs especially well with any baked goods that have fresh fruit or fresh berries in them.
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You can even use it as a special topping for angel food cake or pound cake. While whipped cream and cool whip make for delicious dessert toppings, they don't hold up well as frosting.
This recipe shows you how to stabilize it with powdered sugar and other ingredients, if desired, to help it hold its shape. Use this whipped cream frosting recipe as a substitute for the topping on your favorite cupcakes, such as confetti cupcakes or chocolate cupcakes.
This recipe only requires a few simple ingredients to make the fluffiest homemade frosting you've ever tasted. It's so easy too, so you can make it even if you're a novice baker!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
You'll love this whipped cream frosting recipe, for a few big reasons:
- It only takes about 5 minutes to whip up a batch of fresh homemade frosting! You can make it quickly if you forget to buy frosting at the store and need an easy topping.
- This frosting holds its shape well without being overly sweet and really heavy. It's a great substitute for traditional cream cheese frosting or buttercream. Use it in place of cream cheese frosting on red velvet cupcakes!
- You can use whipped cream frosting in a layer cake, birthday cake, cupcakes, cookies or anytime you're frosting a dessert and want a fluffy and sweet topping.
Ingredients
Grab these four simple ingredients on your next trip to the grocery store:
- heavy whipping cream: This is sometimes labeled as heavy cream or whipping cream. Don't skimp and get half-and-half or milk — it won't whip up the way cream will.
- vanilla extract: Use the best quality vanilla extract you can! It makes a big difference.
- salt: I know this sounds weird, but you're going to need to trust me that helps to tamp down the sweetness of this recipe.
- powdered sugar: Also called confectioner's sugar, this superfine powder of sugar is the stuff good frostings are made of. (Out? You can make your own powdered sugar with two simple ingredients.)
Substitutions and Variations
Mix things up! This is frosting, you guys. Don't take it too seriously and have some fun!
Chocolate whipped cream frosting: Make a chocolate version of this recipe by adding a bit of cocoa powder to the mixture. It would be delicious on a double chocolate cake!
Flavored whipped cream frosting: Change the flavor up by using different extracts. Extracts of lemon, almond, coconut, peppermint or orange can all be used to make different flavors of this creamy frosting.
Spiced whipped cream frosting: Add a pinch of cinnamon or apple pie spice for fall and winter cakes. So good for apple cupcakes or pumpkin cupcakes!
Dairy-free whipped cream frosting: To make this recipe without dairy, use a dairy-free heavy cream substitute. Coconut whipped cream could work really well! I would recommend adding a stabilizer when using a dairy-free heavy cream to ensure that it holds well.
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
This frosting will not droop if you plan to eat them the same day, but if it is important for the frosting to hold its shape, you may want to stabilize it. Whipped cream tends to become runnier if it sits for a long time.
Unflavored gelatin is the easiest way to make your whipped cream frosting more stable. Place one teaspoon of gelatin into about a tablespoon of warm water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes. Ensure all of the grainy gelatin has bloomed so it mixes well into the frosting. Then combine it with the rest of the ingredients that this recipe calls for.
Cornstarch is another easy way to stabilize whipped cream frosting! Whisk one teaspoon of cornstarch with the cold heavy whipping cream, then add the pure vanilla extract, salt and sugar.
Another way to stabilize this frosting is by using cream of tartar. Combine the confectioners' sugar and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar in small bowl. Then, whip the cold heavy cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar mixture and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
How to Make Whipped Cream Frosting
Here's how to make my favorite Whipped Cream Frosting recipe:
While your favorite cupcakes are cooling, place a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer into the refrigerator. Place the whisk attachment for an electric hand mixer or stand mixer into the fridge as well. You want your gear to be COLD to make your frosting even better.
Hot Tip: If you want your large mixing bowl to be extra cold, place it in the freezer instead of the fridge. Just be sure you don't leave it too long so that it doesn't break or begin forming ice crystals.
Once the cupcakes are cooled and ready to be frosted, take the cold bowl and whisk attachment out of the refrigerator and get your mixer set up.
Beat a cup of heavy whipping cream on medium speed until it becomes a little frothy. You don't want it to be fully whipped just yet.
Next, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Finally, add ¾ cup powdered sugar — ¼ cup at a time.
Beat the whipped cream mixture until stiff peaks form. Once it is stable enough to scoop, spoon the frosting into a piping bag or quart-size bag and cut the corner off.
Pipe or spread your homemade whipped cream frosting onto your favorite desserts, whichever you choose. Serve immediately or keep in the fridge until ready to serve for best results.
How to Store Whipped Cream Frosting
You can store leftover whipped cream frosting in an airtight container, kept in the fridge, for about 2 days.
Whipped cream will slowly become more runny the longer it is stored. So just keep that in mind!
Tips for Success
Here are some tips for making this recipe:
- Use a metal bowl for the stand mixer or electric mixer when possible. I find that these chill more quickly and tend to stay colder as I'm mixing the frosting together.
- Periodically stop your mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. This will ensure you incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly.
- If you find that the whipped cream frosting is beginning to fall flat in the piping bag, pop the frosting (still in the bag) into the fridge for a few minutes. The heat from your hands may have begun to effect the stability of the frosting.
FAQ
If you are planning to use this frosting on a multi-layered cake or are icing something that will be sitting out for a while, it can be a good idea to add a stabilizer. Frosting that is made with whipped cream can lose its structure when it begins to get warm and it also isn't very strong to do well in between a lot of layers. So if you know your cupcakes will sit out at a party or event, add a stabilizer. If your favorite cake has a lot of layers, add stabilizer before using it on the cake. The extra step will be worth it!
Yes! Whipped cream is just heavy whipping cream that has been whisked quickly until stiff peaks form, sometimes with added sugar. Whipped cream frosting contains more sugar and often has a stabilizer added to it that helps it hold its shape on baked goods.
More Cupcake Recipes
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Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Video
Instructions
- While your baked goods cool on a wire rack, place a medium bowl for the frosting and your electric beaters in the fridge.
- Once the cupcakes or cake is cool, take your chilled bowl and beaters out of the fridge. Beat one cup of heavy whipping cream on medium speed until cream is frothy and bubbly.
- Add in a teaspoon of vanilla, pinch of salt, and ¾ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time.
- After frosting comes together, use a rubber spatula or spoon to spoon frosting into a cake frosting bag with a star tip or just into a quart size plastic bag.
- Pipe frosting onto baked goods and serve.
Notes
Storing
You can store leftover whipped cream frosting in an airtight container, kept in the fridge, for about 2 days. Whipped cream will slowly become more runny the longer it is stored. So just keep that in mind!Stabilizing
This frosting will not droop if you plan to eat them the same day, but if it is important for the frosting to hold its shape, you may want to stabilize it. Whipped cream tends to become runnier if it sits for a long time.- Unflavored gelatin is the easiest way to make your whipped cream frosting more stable. Place one teaspoon of gelatin into about a tablespoon of warm water and allow it to bloom for 5 minutes. Ensure all of the grainy gelatin has bloomed so it mixes well into the frosting. Then combine it with the rest of the ingredients that this recipe calls for.
- Cornstarch is another easy way to stabilize whipped cream frosting! Whisk one teaspoon of cornstarch with the cold heavy whipping cream, then add the pure vanilla extract, salt and sugar.
- Another way to stabilize this frosting is by using cream of tartar. Combine the confectioners' sugar and ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar in small bowl. Then, whip the cold heavy cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar mixture and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
Nutrition
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