There’s one thing I love more than whipped cream, and it’s my stabilized whipped cream frosting! It is so incredibly delicious and light, not too sweet, and is great for piping. Best of all, it stays stable for days, making it great for decorating cakes, cupcakes and all sorts of desserts!
What makes this whipped cream so stable?
The secret ingredient I use to stabilize my whipped cream is… mascarpone! Mascarpone is a rich and creamy Italian cheese that is commonly used in desserts such as tiramisu. When added to whipped cream, it can help to stabilize it and prevent it from deflating or separating.
This is because mascarpone contains a higher percentage of fat than regular cream, which helps to thicken and stabilize the whipped cream. The fat in mascarpone also coats the air bubbles created during whipping, helping them to stay intact and preventing the cream from collapsing.
Mascarpone also has a subtle flavour profile that’s very similar to whipping cream (as mascarpone itself is made from heavy cream), so it doesn’t overpower the natural flavour of whipped cream.
How to make stabilized whipped cream
This whipped cream comes together so quickly!
Before beginning, your mascarpone and whipped cream should be cold. It’s also best to place the bowl and whisks that you’re using to make the frosting, into the fridge for 15 minutes before you begin.
This is because the fat in cold cream is solid and more structured, making it easier to incorporate air and create stable peaks when whipped. If the cream is warm or at room temperature, the fat is softer and more likely to break down, which can result in a runny or grainy texture.To begin, In a large bowl, combine mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla. Mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds, and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix until well combined (about a minute). If using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment.
And that is it! Your super smooth stabilized whipped cream frosting is ready to use. An important note is that because this is a whipped cream, once it sets it’s hard to get it back to a smooth consistency, so I do recommend using it straight away, especially if you want to do smooth piping or cake decorating.
It’ll be good to stay out for a few hours, but then pop it into the fridge so that it doesn’t go bad 🙂
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) mascarpone - cold
- ½ cup (55 g) icing sugar - also known as confectioners/powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1½ cups (335 g) whipping cream - cold
Instructions
- Before beginning, your mascarpone and whipped cream should be cold. It's also best to place the bowl and whisks that you'll be using to make the frosting, into the fridge for 15 minutes (if you have time).
- In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla. Mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds, and then turn up the speed to a medium high and mix until well combined (about a minute). If using a stand mixer use the whisk attachment.
- Add in the whipping cream and mix on a low speed for about 10 seconds (to allow everything to combine without the cream splattering), and then turn up the speed to a medium high and whip until you reach stiff peaks. Keep a careful eye on the mixture as you don't want to overwhip the cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
87 Comments
Hi
Can I add lemon juice to this to make it tangy?
Hi Maria! 🙂
I haven’t tried adding in lemon juice myself, but I think it may not work as the acid in the lemon juice may split the cream. For a whipped cream frosting that’s a little tangy, I recommend trying the chantilly cream frosting from my chantilly cake recipe: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/moist-chantilly-cake/
it has a bit of cream cheese in it which adds a big of tang to the frosting 🙂
Can this be stored in the freezer? Is it possible to make a bulk batch and store?
Hi Ankini! 🙂
I haven’t tried freezing this frosting myself so I’m not too sure sorry! My worry is that when thawing, the texture may change. Would love to hear how it goes if you do decide to try freezing it 🙂
Hello
Is it ok to make the frosting and frost cake the day before I need to deliver cake?
Hi Tracee! Yes that should be fine 🙂
I would just recommend using the frosting shortly after it’s whipped so it doesn’t lose it’s smooth consistency while applying it on the cake 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi,
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes.
Can I be able to decorate 3 layers 9 inche cake or I need it double the amount?
Can I use gel food color in this icing to decorate the cake?
Hi Naina! You’re so welcome, so glad you’re loving the recipes 😀
For a 3 layer 9 inch cake, if you want to completely cover the cake in frosting as well as do a little piping, then I would recommend making 2x the recipe 🙂
Yes you should be able to use gel colors – I would add it in when mixing the mascarpone (before adding in the whipped cream).
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 😀
Hi there –
I’d like to make this icing with your eggless vanilla cake. We have to travel 40 min. Will the icing hold up until we get to our destination? I’ll have he cake in the fridge until we leave.
Hi Noelle! 🙂 Yes as it’s a stabilized whipped cream it should hold up fine. Just keep the air conditioning on in the car if it’s quite hot 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi MK,
Loved your tres leches cake and it has turned out great, even the crust on top of the cake came out the way you’d shown it 😀
I’m wondering what’s a sugar substitute for frosting – I’d like to make the frosting with minimal sugar
Thanks again,
V
Hi V! So so happy to hear you loved the tres leches cake 😀
With the whipped cream frosting, you could reduce the sugar if you like. Whipped cream still whips up well without sugar it just won’t be sweet and it’ll be a bit more soft. The powdered sugar does help to stabilise the whipped cream a little but if you don’t mind having a slightly softer whipped cream frosting (which is usually fine for Tres Leches cake), you can simply omit or reduce the sugar 🙂
Enjoy!
Hi, what percentage whipped cream to be used
Hi Rashmita! 🙂 Anything above 34% fat should work fine 🙂
Enjoy!
Hi.. is this dairy or non dairy whipping cream? Tq
Hi Gayethiri! I used dairy whipping cream 🙂