Whipped Cream Frosting

Published: May 29, 2018 • Modified: June 1, 2023 415 Comments »

Need a fluffy, light frosting that holds its shape well? Look no further than this whipped cream frosting recipe! Made with just 3 simple ingredients. It’s more stable than regular whipped cream and is perfect for any make-ahead dessert!

I’m so happy to share this whipped cream frosting with you today, finally! It’s a component of many other recipes on this site, including my Tiramisu Cake, Black Forest Cake, and Banana Pudding Cake. But it’s never had its dedicated recipe post. Until now!

It’s about time!

I love this recipe, and I make it often. It works as a frosting or filling, as well as a topping.

You can pipe on cupcakes, spread it on layer cakes, or dollop it over all desserts.

It would be perfect with angel food cake or pound cake (I’ve got a lemon pound cake, chocolate pound cake, and marble pound cake recipe that you’d love), along with a handful of fresh berries.

And it’s a little more stable than regular whipped cream so you can make it up to 48 hours ahead, and it will keep its shape without deflating or weeping.

Why you’ll love this whipped cream frosting

Easy to Make
Simple Steps
Only 3 Ingredients
Versatile Recipe for Many Desserts
Light and Creamy
Pipes Well

What is in this whipped cream frosting recipe?

So what’s the secret to this magical whipped cream? There are a few key ingredients that make this frosting special.

If you love easy recipes, this frosting will become one of your favorites! There are only 3 simple ingredients in this frosting whipped cream recipe, but each one serves a specific purpose.

Cream Cheese: The cream cheese keeps this whipped cream extra thick and firm. The tanginess of the cream cheese is very subtle and not overpowering. It complements Red Velvet Cake or Carrot Cake perfectly.

Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese in a brick. The type in a tub is not meant for baking. It’s intended for spreading on bagels, so it’s soft, and your frosting won’t come out right if you use that. You need the high-fat content, dense cream cheese that’s sold in 8-ounce bricks for this frosting.

Mascarpone will be a great substitute if you don’t want to use cream cheese. It’s a super-creamy soft Italian cheese that has a milder, more buttery flavor than American cream cheese.

Powdered Sugar: This will serve to sweeten the topping, but powdered sugar also has a bit of cornstarch that will help stabilize the whipped cream.

Heavy Whipping Cream: If you are outside the U.S., you might know this as “double cream.” It’s very thick and rich. If you use light cream, table cream, or half and half, it will not whip up right, and you will have a runny mess on your hands. Look for “heavy” cream, “whipping cream,” or “double” cream.

How to Make Whipped Cream Frosting

Start by mixing the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Just blend them until they are smooth and combined.

It’s totally fine if the cream cheese is cold. Many dessert recipes specify that the cream cheese should be softened, but you can use it straight from the fridge for this topping.

This step can be done with the paddle attachment OR the whip attachment.

Next, you want to use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. This will help prevent lumps in your whipped cream frosting.

Get your heavy whipping cream into a spouted container, such as a liquid measuring cup. Make sure it’s nice and cold! Cream whips up best when it’s cold. For best results, refrigerate your mixing bowl and whisk attachment too. The colder the better!

Place the whip attachment on your mixer (if you’re not already using it), and drizzle in the cold cream in a slow, steady stream while the mixer runs at medium-high speed. Every so often, turn the mixer off and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl again so that any lumps of cream cheese that may be clinging get incorporated before too much liquid goes in.

Once all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until the icing becomes nice and thick and stiff peaks form. This should take no more than 2 to 3 minutes. If you whip it too long, you could break it down, and it could separate or become runny. So, as soon as you see it thickening up, turn off the mixer because you’re good to go!

How to Use

There are countless cakes, cupcakes and desserts that you can use this simply delicious frosting recipe with. Here are a few of my favorites!

Expert Tips

Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in an 8-ounce block.
Use heavy cream. Other types of cream will cause a runny frosting.
Add a teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla extract for added flavor.
Don’t overwhip the frosting or it will lose its shape. As soon as the frosting thickens, turn off the mixer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this good for piping and decorating?

This frosting pipes very well. It may seem a little loose when you’re putting it into your piping bag, but somehow it magically firms up while it’s in there. If you’re concerned about it running out as you fill the bag, clip the end with a clothespin or binder clip. When you’re ready to pipe, release the clip.

I typically use an open star tip or a french star tip to pipe this whipped cream frosting on cupcakes. It pipes beautifully for this type of decoration. You could also use it for a layer cake.

I’m not sure I would use it to pipe roses or write on birthday cakes, though. For something like that, you’d probably be better off with Swiss meringue buttercream or American-style buttercream.

Can it be tinted?

If you’d like to tint this frosting, add a drop or two of gel paste icing color to the finished frosting.

How long does it last?

This whipped cream frosing is much more stable than regular whipped cream (aka: Chantilly cream), which only lasts a few hours before it starts to weep and lose shape. With this recipe, you can make and frost your cake or cupcakes a day or two ahead.

It’s best when kept cold, so keep your dessert refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. Or store the frosting in an airtight container until you’re ready to frost your dessert.

After about 48 hours, the whipped cream starts to give off some of its moisture. If it’s on a cake or cupcake, it’s OK because the moisture soaks into the cake, which is delicious.

But if you make it ahead and store it in a bowl, you may notice that the frosting at the bottom of the bowl is looser and not as fluffy as what’s on top. So, if you’re using it as a topping, I recommend making it no more than 24 hours before serving it.

You’ll love how easy it is to make this whipped cream frosting and how convenient it is to make it ahead. Plus, there’s no fussing around with gelatin! Let me know how you decide to serve it in a comment below.

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