It’s no secret that freshly whipped cream pairs perfectly with almost all sweet treats. A mound of fluffy, vanilla-kissed cream enhances the flavor of pie, ice cream sundaes, cobbler, puddings, snack cakes, and simple macerated fruit.
Whipped cream not only gives desserts the ideal aesthetic finishing touch but also a sense of harmony that makes indulging in desserts more pleasurable overall. Although it has a light texture and sweetness, its airy form still has a voluptuous and rich sound. In conclusion, while whipped cream seems too good to be true, it actually is.
Unfortunately, the same thing that makes freshly whipped cream beautiful also makes it very delicate. As the day wears on, whipped cream, which is made by literally whipping air into high-fat cream, tends to deflate, weep, and generally come apart, especially if left out for a while. (I, for one, can relate. Even when kept in the refrigerator as directed, after a day or two you’ll notice your container of once airy and majestic whipped cream slumping back towards its original liquid state. That’s probably why ready-to-use, constantly aerated prepared whipped toppings like Reddi-wip are so appealing.
One of the primary distinctions between the canned product and your own homemade whipped cream is the presence of stabilizers in the canned product. The good news is that you can stabilize whipped cream on your own without using any strange or mysterious ingredients. And once it does have a little more stability, you can start frosting entire cakes with it—even piping decorative detail—instead of just using whipped cream to top off desserts.
Whipped cream with a little reinforcement makes for a perfectly delicate, angelic frosting that I find particularly alluring on heavy, humid summer days. Regular homemade whipped cream would slide right down the sides of a cake or start to deflate and soak the top.
This is a trick I picked up from one of our test kitchen’s pastry chefs years ago. You simply combine some unflavored gelatin powder with water and, as you whip your cream (I suggest doing this in a chilled metal mixing bowl if you have one), begin drizzling this gelly water into the mixture as the peaks of your cream begin to form. That’s it, friends, just keep whipping until you have stiff peaks, and you’re ready to frost to your heart’s content.
In response to a query I’m sure at least a few of you have: No, this mixture does not have a peculiar gelatinous consistency. Gelatin only serves to give the aerated cream some extra structure and durability; otherwise, it tastes and feels like regular whipped cream. Additionally, it can be utilized similarly to regular whipped cream. It’s actually a great tip for when you want to prepare whipped cream in advance.
You could pipe merry spirals of your divine whipped frosting onto cupcakes. Alternately, you could cover your favorite layer cake and top it with seasonal, fresh fruit. Alternately, use it to create a fancy garnish for a pie.
The choice of how to use your whipped cream is entirely yours. You now have plenty of time to make a decision because it has stabilized.
*Additional note:Unfortunately, this trick is (obviously) not vegan-friendly. However, you could add 1-2 teaspoons of xantham gum as you whip the cream to reinforce a homemade dairy-free whipped topping made with coconut cream if you wanted to try a similar method.
Lemon Variation
Don’t miss our lemon-flavored whipped cream, which combines luscious lemon curd and sweetened whipped cream.
The ideal filling or topping for cakes and cupcakes, this sweetened whipped cream is so simple to make.
- For 10 minutes, place the mixing bowl, beaters, and whisk attachment in the freezer.
- Mixing bowl should be chilled before adding the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Start by beating at low speed and gradually increase to medium high speed.
- The cream begins to thicken (approx. 1 ½ minutes) and soft peaks form. peaks that slightly bend over. Watch closely as this happens quickly. Do not over beat.
- Use right away because the whipped cream will eventually start to deflate.