Stabilized Whipped Cream

For anyone who doesn’t love heavy, overly sweet frosting on their cake or cupcakes, whipped cream seems like a great alternative. Unfortunately, though, you can’t just frost these desserts with regular whipped cream. After a few hours, the whipped cream will separate, weep and deflate, falling off the sides or oozing over the edges. Not ideal.

That’s why we turn to stabilized whipped cream—a type of whipped cream that has an extra ingredient to help the whipped cream hold its shape for days, not just hours. Stabilized whipped cream is what you make when you want to frost a layered cake or decorate pies, cupcakes and other desserts with whipped cream way ahead of serving, not at the very last second.

There are several different ingredients one can use when learning how to stabilize whipped cream, but our Test Kitchen’s executive culinary director, Sarah Farmer, recommends instant pudding mix for its strength, pipeability, ease of use and subtle flavor. She even tested this stabilized whipped cream recipe during a heat wave, and it still held together beautifully!

What is stabilized whipped cream?

Stabilized whipped cream is whipped cream that’s beaten with pudding mix, cream cheese, cornstarch or gelatin. The extra ingredient stiffens the whipped cream, protecting it from deflating and separating for days, which can happen with regular whipped cream in mere hours. This stabilized whipped cream recipe is ideal for decorating cupcakes, cakes (yes, even layered cakes!), pies and trifles with a frosting that’s as light as whipped cream but as strong as regular buttercream.

Ingredients for Stabilized Whipped Cream

• Instant pudding mix: We suggest the white chocolate instant pudding mix flavor in our stabilized whipped cream recipe. Its subtle taste doesn’t detract from the milky, creamy flavor of whipped cream. Be absolutely sure that you’re purchasing the instant pudding mix variety, not cook-and-serve, as the latter won’t work.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Whipped cream isn’t supposed to be overpoweringly sweet, just sweet enough to offer flavor. That’s why we use only 1 tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar here. We need confectioners’ sugar, not granulated sugar, as it has a fine, powdery texture that will easily dissolve into the cream so there isn’t grittiness.
• Heavy whipping cream: To achieve the best volume, make sure the heavy whipping cream is thoroughly chilled before using. I always like to get a little more than needed, just in case I accidentally overwhip the cream and have to smooth it out with an extra tablespoon or two.

How to Stabilize Whipped Cream

Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients

Sift together the instant white chocolate pudding mix and the confectioners’ sugar to knock out any lumps. Set the mixture aside.

Step 2: Start whipping the cream

In a chilled metal bowl using chilled beaters, beat the heavy whipping cream until slightly thickened.

Editor’s Tip: Chilling the bowl and beaters in the fridge or freezer ahead of time will help the cream take on more volume.

Step 3: Stabilize the whipped cream

Add the confectioners’ sugar and pudding mix into the bowl of beaten cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Once you’ve reached your desired consistency, use as needed. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

• Try a different pudding flavor: You can easily change the flavor of your stabilized whipped cream by choosing a different pudding mix. Try strawberry, vanilla, cheesecake, chocolate, lemon, lime and more. Just make sure you’re using instant pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind.
• Add extracts: Another seamless way to add flavor to stabilized whipped cream is through extracts. Extracts are very concentrated and potent, so always start small with just a quick splash.

How to Store Stabilized Whipped Cream

Store stabilized whipped cream in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s really important that the frosting is tightly covered, as cream can easily absorb lingering fridge smells.

How long does stabilized whipped cream last?

Stabilized whipped cream will last in the fridge for up to four days. Although it can last for days, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than two hours. Doing so will create a danger zone for bacteria to grow.

Stabilized Whipped Cream Tips

Can you use stabilized whipped cream under fondant?

No, it’s not recommended to use stabilized whipped cream under fondant. As stiff as it is, it won’t support the weight of fondant. Instead, stick with regular buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting underneath fondant.

Why is my stabilized whipped cream not reaching stiff peaks?

There are a few reasons your stabilized whipped cream may not be reaching stiff peaks. The first is if your ingredients are too warm. The heavy whipping cream should be measured fresh from the fridge so it can whip up properly. I also like to chill my bowl and beaters in the fridge beforehand to add extra chill.

Another cause could be if your kitchen is too warm. Warmth is the enemy of whipped cream, even stabilized whipped cream, so place the bowl with everything inside (even the beaters!) in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then try again.

Can you make stabilized whipped cream without pudding mix?

Yes, you can make a stabilized whipped cream recipe without pudding mix. Some bakers will use softened cream cheese, bloomed gelatin or cornstarch to add strength to the stabilized whipped cream. We prefer pudding mix, though, since it’s the easiest to use, doesn’t detract from the milky flavor and makes the stabilized whipped cream beautifully pipeable. You can also use different flavors of pudding mix if you’d like, which is a super easy way to change up the taste.

Can you overbeat stabilized whipped cream?

Yes, you can overbeat stabilized whipped cream. Make sure you’re zoned in when whipping to prevent the stabilized whipped cream from being curdled-looking. When whipping, it feels as if it takes forever at first, but then it will change in a matter of seconds. If you overbeat the stabilized whipped cream, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more heavy cream and re-whip.