Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting (using cream cheese)
My stabilized whipped cream frosting uses a little cream cheese to stabilize instead of gelatin. It’s made from scratch with simple steps. I love using this frosting as the center filling for my sourdough Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes! It’s light, fluffy, and not overly sweet!
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What is Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting?
Stabilized whipped cream frosting is a thick whipped cream you can pipe on cakes or use to frost cupcakes. It’s got a thicker texture than regular whipped cream so it’ll hold its shape.
Different Ways You Can Stabilize Whipped Cream
You can stabilize, stiffen, whipped cream frosting a few ways. I like using the cream cheese the most but you can also use gelatin or cream of tarter.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- heavy whipping cream
- pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar
- plain cream cheese (we’re using this to stabilize)
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
- Large mixing bowl (glass or metal is best)
- Electric mixer with a whisk attachment or stand mixer
- Measuring spoons and cups (these are my favorite)
How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream
10 minutes before making this recipe, place a glass or metal mixing bowl in the freezer along with the whisk attachment for your mixer and the heavy whipping cream. This will ensure everything is cold so the cream will stiffen.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
Use an electric mixer on medium speed (hand mixer or stand mixer) with a whisk attachment to whip the ingredients together for 2-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. (Aka – The whipped cream stays on the whisk and doesn’t drop off)You can also do this with a regular whisk it’ll just take a little longer.
Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It’ll last about 2-3 days in the fridge covered.After the first day it will break down, add in 1 oz more softened cream cheese and whip it until stiffened again if this happens.
Important Tips
- Different heavy whipping cream brands can cause a slight variation.
- If the whipped cream isn’t thickening after 2 minutes place the bowl in the freezer for 10 to get it cold again.
- Whip the mixture longer if needed.
Storing Whipped Cream Frosting
I recommend using this frosting right away for the best results.
Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It’ll last about 2-3 days in the fridge covered. After the first day it will break down, add in 1 oz more softened cream cheese and whip it until stiffened again if this happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
This can be for a few reasons. Sometimes you’ve just got to mix it longer depending on the temperature of the milk and even the temperature of your kitchen. If it’s warm in your home, it may not stiffen as much as you’d like. It could also be the brand of heavy whipping cream you’re using.
My suggestion is to place the mixture into the freezer for 10 minutes if it’s not thickening after 2-3 minutes. Be patient and give it that much time first. Then whip it again for 2-3 minutes. This should help.
It’ll last 2-3 days in the fridge, 4 max. But it’s best to use it the first day.
Yes, you will want to refrigerate cakes that have whipped cream frosting on or in them.
I don’t recommend it. Stick with a buttercream or even a cream cheese frosting under fondant.
For this recipe, I recommend using cream cheese to stabilize the frosting. But if you don’t prefer to use cream cheese, you’ll need to add gelatin or cream of tarter to replace it. I’ve not done this for this specific recipe, so please note results will vary if you do either of those.
Desserts to Enjoy with this Whipped Cream Frosting
- Cut Out Sourdough Sugar Cookies From Scratch
- Mini Sourdough Fruit Pizza (with sourdough sugar cookie crust)
- Best Sourdough Carrot Cake From Scratch
- Sourdough Brownies Recipe From Scratch
- Sourdough Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
- Sourdough Vanilla Cake (sheet pan, round, or cupcakes)
Recipe
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 oz plain cream cheese (room temperature so it’ll be softened)
Instructions
- 10 minutes before making this recipe, place a glass or metal mixing bowl in the freezer along with the whisk attachment for your mixer and the heavy whipping cream. This will ensure everything is cold so the cream will stiffen.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add in heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
- Use an electric mixer on medium speed (hand mixer or stand mixer) with a whisk attachment to whip the ingredients together for 2-4 minutes until stiff peaks form. (Aka – The whipped cream stays on the whisk and doesn’t drop off). Please be patient, it takes a little bit to thicken.You can also do this with a regular whisk it’ll just take a little longer.
- Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It'll last about 2-3 days in the fridge covered. After the first day it will break down, add in 1 oz more softened cream cheese and whip it until stiffened again if this happens.
Notes
Important Notes
- I recommend using this frosting right away for the best results.
- If the whipped cream isn’t thickening after 2 minutes place the bowl in the freezer for 10 to get it cold again.
- Whip the mixture longer if needed.
- Different heavy whipping cream brands can cause a slight variation.
Did you make this recipe?
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