4 Ways to Make Whipped Cream Way Ahead

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. 

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.

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.

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 

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

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 two weeks

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

Pipe a border on a tart:

Dollop atop chocolate mousse:

Sandwich it in a strawberry shortcake:

Garnish a pavlova:

Top a mug of hot chocolate: