How to Decorate Cakes with Fresh Cream

While many people have the habit of using whipped cream to decorate desserts such as ice cream cups or cupcakes, whipped cream can also become a delicious topping for cakes. If you want to decorate a cake with whipped cream, it’s important to remember to make the whipped cream stiffer so that the frosting doesn’t deform. By making the cake coating with the right ratio of whipped cream and gelatin, you will have a fluffy and perfect cake for decorating. The recipe in this article helps you get 2 cups of whipped cream, enough to decorate a round cake with a diameter of 23cm. If you want to decorate a larger loaf or have multiple layers, double the ingredients in the recipe to make sure there’s enough cream.

Table of Contents

Ingredient

1 cup fresh cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon gelatin powder

Make cake frosting with whipped cream

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Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. Before you start making the frosting, you need to put the large metal bowl and the metal whisk of the whisk in the freezer to chill. The frosting will easily become stiff when the appliance is cooled. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If you don’t have a metal bowl, you can use a plastic bowl. However, it’s best to use metal, because this material has the ability to keep cold, helping fresh cream to stiffen.
Make sure your bowl is big enough to hold 2 cups of frosting without worrying about it spilling.

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Double the recipe if you want to double the cake layer. The following recipe makes 2 cups of frosting, enough to cover a regular cake. If you’re making a two-layer loaf and want to spread the icing between the layers, double the ingredients in the recipe to make sure there’s no shortage of frosting.

Dissolve gelatin in water at room temperature. While you’re cooling your cookware, stir ½ teaspoon of gelatin powder with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Use a spatula to stir the mixture until the gelatin dissolves, then set aside. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Add remaining ingredients to the cooled metal bowl. Remove the metal bowl and whisk from the freezer, and put 1 cup of whipped cream, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a bowl. Do not add dissolved gelatin at this time.

Keep fresh cream in the refrigerator until needed.

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Beat ingredients on medium speed. Using an electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until mixture thickens. The finished product will look more solid than the original mix because of the extra air bubbles. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Add the gelatin and continue to beat the mixture for another 3-5 minutes. When the mixture begins to thicken, add the dissolved gelatin and continue beating on medium speed. Gelatin is what stabilizes the frosting, so when you add it, the mixture will thicken and stiffen. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Stop beating the mixture when the cream has a stiff peak. After 3-5 minutes, you try to check if the mixture has formed a peak. Remove the whisk from the bowl, and check the condition of the cream mixture. If the ice cream has a standing top when you remove the whisk, the frosting is done. If the cream has a soft peak, continue beating the mixture for another 1-2 minutes before checking again. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Avoid stirring the ingredients for too long, as the mixture will come apart and spoil.

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Scoop ⅓ amount of cream into a piping bag and set aside (if desired). Save ⅓ of the mixture so you can catch the icing. After you put the ice cream in the bag, you will put the ice cream bag in the refrigerator while you cover the top of the cake. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If you don’t want to decorate the cake with icing, skip this step.

Cover the cake with cream

Spread the frosting in the bowl over the cake. Use a spatula to scrape all the frosting in the bowl and place it on top of the cake. At this point, you will have a large icing in the center of the cake. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Make sure the cake has cooled down before you frost it.
If you’re covering a cake with two layers, put half of the frosting on the bottom layer of the cake. Use a spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Next, place the second cake layer on top of the icing, and spread the rest of the icing on top of the cake.

Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Move the spatula in small circular motions to spread the cream to the outside of the center of the cake, and coat the edges of the cake. The goal in this step is to create an even layer of icing on top of the cake, and spread the excess cream around the sides of the cake.

Spread the remaining cream around the sides of the cake. Tilt the spatula down and towards you to spread the excess cream from the edge of the cake. Use a short stroke to spread the cream evenly around the circumference of the cake. Continue to spread the cream around the sides of the cake until the whole loaf is covered with cream. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

More textures

Create a simple style with wavy lines on top of the cream. If you don’t want icing but still want to add some texture, use a spatula to create wavy lines on top of the cream. Twist the icing into small ripples all over the loaf for a simple look.

Use a dough scraper to smooth the surface of the cake before icing the frosting. For a smooth, even icing that’s perfect for icing, you’ll need to move the spatula around the cake. Move the dough scraper in circles around the edges before moving around the top of the cake. Pull the dough scraper towards you, and remove excess cream from it. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Put the whipped cream on the cake. After you have spread an even layer of cream on the cake, you will take the ice cream bag out of the refrigerator and start creating the texture. Tape the icing around the edge of the cake to create a border, and the icing on the top to create a beautiful floral pattern or icing. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Practice catching the whipped cream on the wax paper before working on the cake.

Place the decorated loaf in the refrigerator. Before bringing the cake out to enjoy, you need to put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for the frosting to harden. The frosting will keep its shape for about 2-3 days if refrigerated, and a few hours if left at room temperature. ^{[11] X Research Source}

If you leave the frosting at room temperature for more than 3-4 hours, it will soften, lose its firmness and melt on the cake.

Advice

Add 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar to the mixture if you prefer a sweeter frosting.
If you want to make a vegetarian/vegan cake, use agar – this is a plant-based alternative to gelatin.

Warning

Do not beat the whipped cream for too long, or the mixture will come apart in the bowl and cannot be used on the cake.

Things you need

Large metal bowl
Hand-held egg beater
Plastic and/or metal dredges
Powder scraper
Ice cream bag