How many times have you found yourself scurrying around to whip cream at the last minute?
Or maybe you’ve whipped your cream ahead only to find it’s slumped by the time you’re ready to serve dessert?
Those days are over, because we’ve refined several techniques for making stabilized whipped cream. Whether you plan to dollop it onto a dessert or load it into a piping bag to create a decorative edge, whipped cream prepared with any of the following methods will hold its shape for hours or even days.
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What Is Stabilized Whipped Cream?
Unlike other dessert toppings and frostings, whipped cream doesn’t keep well if made in advance.
After a few hours it begins to weep liquid and eventually loses the air bubbles that have been whipped into it. Leaving it at room temperature only exacerbates the problem.
Stabilized whipped cream, on the other hand, retains its shape for hours without collapsing or leaching liquid. This makes it a game changer when it comes to prepping desserts ahead.
The Best Way to Stabilize Whipped Cream
In our quest to perfect stabilized whipped cream, we tried a slew of additives we’d heard might help: marshmallow crème, xanthan gum, cream of tartar, confectioners’ sugar, nonfat dry milk powder, instant dry vanilla pudding mix, gelatin, and buckwheat flour.
Some ingredients, such as cream of tartar, worked well but added unwanted flavors. Others, like xanthan gum, made the whipped topping more dense and reminiscent of sour cream.
We also experimented with using a food processor for whipping instead of a mixer, along with adding jelly and freeze-dried fruit.
The following four methods rose above the rest.
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Buy Now1. How to Stabilize Whipped Cream with Gelatin
For whipped cream that tastes purely of dairy, the best of the bunch proved to be gelatin, which we first heated in a bit of water to liquefy it and ensure even distribution in the cold cream. Beaten into the cream, gelatin binds with free water to prevent weeping, and we use just enough so that the whipped cream remains soft and airy.
GOOD FOR: Dolloping
SHELF LIFE: 24 hours
METHOD
1. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon of unflavored powdered gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave-safe bowl and let it stand for 3 minutes.
2. Microwave the mixture in 5-second increments until the gelatin is dissolved and liquefied.
3. Whip 2 cups of chilled heavy cream (along with 2 teaspoons of sugar and ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract, if desired) in a stand mixer, staying on low speed until small bubbles form and then increasing the speed to medium. When the beaters begin to leave a trail in the cream, slowly pour in the gelatin mixture and then increase the speed to high and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
2. How to Stabilize Whipped Cream with Jelly
Another option for stabilizing whipped cream is fruit jelly.
Even jellies made from low-pectin fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, and apricots can work because they are typically processed with lots of added pectin so that they gel properly. (Like gelatin, pectin binds the free water in the cream preventing weeping.) A few tablespoons of such jellies can give the topping staying power (and a light fruity taste).
But not just any fruit jelly will do. An easy way to test if a jelly will work well? Scoop a tablespoon onto a plate—if it’s jiggly and slumps, give it a pass, but if it feels firm and holds a clean, domed profile, then you’re good to go.
GOOD FOR: Dolloping, piping, and introducing subtle fruity flavor to a dessert
SHELF LIFE: 24 hours
METHOD
1. Briefly microwave 4 tablespoons jelly in small bowl until just melted, 10 to 15 seconds.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip 2 cups heavy cream and 4 teaspoons sugar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high; pour in melted jelly; and whip until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. How to Stabilize Whipped Cream with a Food Processor
Whereas whipping cream in a stand mixer produces light, billowy peaks, the sharp, fast-moving blades of a food processor can’t add as much air. Instead, they produce a denser, creamy consistency that also stays that way for a remarkably long time. That’s because the small air bubbles created by the processor are more stable than the big ones created by a stand mixer. Since the topping is so dense, it can also be used as a frosting.
GOOD FOR: Piping or frosting snack cakes, angel food and chiffon cakes, or cupcakes. You can also dollop this whipped cream; it just won’t have a billowy texture.
SHELF LIFE: Up to one week
METHOD
1. Process 2 cups heavy cream, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in a food processor for 45 seconds.
2. Pulse in 5-second intervals for another 15 to 20 seconds, until the cream has reached the consistency of buttercream frosting.
4. How to Stabilize Whipped Cream with a Food Processor and Freeze-Dried Fruit
To add flavor and color to your food processor–stabilized whipped cream, try adding freeze-dried fruits. Like jelly and jam, freeze-dried fruits contain pectin, which gives the cream a little extra boost of staying power. We like using raspberries, blueberries, or mangos, which each tint the cream an attractive pastel hue and add significant fruity flavor.
GOOD FOR: Piping or frosting snack cakes, angel food and chiffon cakes, or cupcakes. You can also dollop this whipped cream; it just won’t have a billowy texture.
SHELF LIFE: Up to two weeks
METHOD
1. Process 20 grams freeze-dried fruit and 1⁄4 cup sugar in spice grinder in 2 batches until it forms smooth powder.
2. Add 2 cups heavy cream to food processor, add powder, and process for 15 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with spatula to ensure powder is evenly distributed.
3. Process again for another 15 to 30 seconds until thickened and whipped.
How to Use Stabilized Whipped Cream
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