Here's a secret little trick to stabilize whipped cream so that it stays soft and billowy for a day or more. Save time and last-minute stress by making your whipped cream ahead the next time you entertain. (Skip to recipe)
A big bowl of billowing, soft, white, whipped cream. Fluffy like clouds.
Isn't that a beauty to have sitting on your table when you have a birthday party, or friends for dinner, or are serving a delicious dessert buffet? Wouldn't it be a treat if you didn't have to leave the table at the last minute to whip the cream? Wouldn't it be great not to have to mess up more dirty dishes when you've got guests over?
Well, just whip that ol' cream ahead of time and you've got one less thing to worry about!
There are packets of whipping cream stabilizers available commercially, but I usually don't have those around when I want to serve whipped cream. I was talking to my aunt about how to stabilize whipped cream and she sent me her genius recipe for it (thanks, Auntie Monika!) which involved a bit of gelatin softened in water. I researched the ingredients in those packets of commercial stabilizer and found that cornstarch was a main ingredient, so I added a touch of that to my aunt's gelatin system, and it works beautifully.
You can have fluffy clouds of whipped cream that stay soft and a billowy in the fridge for over 24 hours - up to a few days, even. There's no flopping or weeping or separating. No whining or whinging (from the cream or the cook). You can make up your whipped cream ahead of time and forget about it. You can dish out a spoonful to add to your pie or your latté or just to sneak into your mouth when no one is looking. You can ice a cake with fluffy whipped cream and not worry about it melting off the cake like a zombie's face in a furnace.
Let the whipped cream extravaganza begin!
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Kitchen Frau Notes: You can omit the cornstarch, and the cream still stays luscious and soft for several days, but I found that the little bit of cornstarch adds extra insurance for keeping the cream stable and fluffy without changing the taste at all. Store the whipped cream in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or a lid. It will last for several days.
How to Stabilize Whipped Cream
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon powdered gelatin
- 1 cup (240ml) whipping cream (heavy cream, 33-36% milk fat)
- 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
Pour the water into a small heatproof bowl that is bigger in circumference than a small pot. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water and allow it to soften for 5 minutes. Dissolve the softened gelatin by placing the bowl over a small pot of simmering water and stirring until all the gelatin granules are melted and the liquid is clear. Set aside (but don't leave it for too long or it will set - you can rewarm it gently over hot water again if need be. I usually make it right before I whip the cream).
Pour the whipping cream into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the sugar (if using) and cornstarch.
Beat the cream with the whisk attachment of the stand mixer or with a hand mixer just until soft peaks form. Add the dissolved gelatin all at once during the whipping. Whip the cream a few seconds longer until it is as stiff as you want it to be.
The whipped cream will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If refrigerated, stir it up each time before using.
Makes about 2 cups (500ml).
For Larger Quantities of Stabilized Whipped Cream
2 cups cream (240-250 ml): use 1 teaspoon gelatin in 2 tablespoons (30ml) water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 cups cream (480-500 ml): use 2 teaspoons gelatin in ¼ cup (60ml) water, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 cups cream (1.44-1.5 litres): use 1 tablespoon gelatin in ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90ml) water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Guten Appetit!
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Judith
Very cool!!!
Margaret
It really is amazing how well this works and what a nice texture the cream has. (It's great for lazy people like me!)
Redawna
Great tip! I am definitely going to try it next time I need to make a big batch.
Margaret
Thanks, Redawna. It's a real time-saver when entertaining (plus it's a treat to sneak in for a spoonful to dress up my lattes in the days after 🙂 )
Vivian
Is this recipe suitable for an ISI whip cream dispenser? They use CO2 cartridges and the cream stays fresh for quite a while refrigerated but ultimately becomes gummy.
Margaret
I don't know, Vivian. I haven't tried it in my dispenser. Because the stabilized cream keeps so well, I find I don't need to use the dispenser. If you try it, let me know how it works.
Nancy Jay
Genius idea! Auntie Monika has a wealth of kitchen recipes and is an amazing cook. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Margaret
She's got the Bose women talent for cooking - that's for sure! We have a lot we can learn from our aunties!
Tania Arruda
I use this approach every time I make Black Forest cake!
Margaret
I am SO impressed with how well it works to keep whipped cream fluffy for days. I've tried it on cakes a couple times, too - it's fantastic. Black Forest Cake is something I so rarely make, but now you've got me thinking about it! I can imagine how nice the whipped cream would be on that.
Cheryl
I tried it for the first time today. The problem I had was I made the gelatin a few minutes prior to beating the cream and when I went to use it, well it was jello.
Margaret
LOL, that would be a problem, alright. It wouldn't pour too well, for sure! (You can always rewarm it to melt it, or start again.) I usually pour the gelatin in when it's still warm. (I'll put that in the post, in case it happens to others, too.) Your comment made me chuckle 😀