Whipped Cream Frosting
You will love this Whipped Cream Frosting because it only requires 4 simple ingredients, is super light and fluffy, and isn’t super sweet! If you aren’t a fan of heavily sweet frostings, then this is the frosting recipe for you!
This light and less sweet whipped cream frosting recipe would taste amazing on Angel Food Cake with some fresh berries or in my Strawberry Shortcake Trifle! You can also use it atop my Black Velvet Cupcakes to make some fun Ghost Cupcakes for Halloween! It will even taste amazing on my Best Chocolate Cupcakes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Only 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. If you’ve made American-style buttercream before, then you now those recipes can call for anywhere from 4 to 7 cups of powdered sugar! That’s insane! This whipped cream frosting with pudding calls for only 1/2 cup of powdered sugar!
- Best whipped cream frosting. You know how with cupcakes you’ll sometimes (or all the times) cut half of the frosting off the top? I confess, I do that all the time! But with this delicious white chocolate pudding frosting, I ate all of it! It isn’t sickly sweet at all so I gobbled it all up!
Ingredient Notes
- Heavy Cream: Be sure to use cold heavy whipping cream! I wouldn’t use cool whip; use heavy cream and whip it into whipped cream.
- Powdered Sugar: You only need 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in this pudding whipped cream frosting! Sift the powdered sugar beforehand for the smoothest texture.
- White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix: Be sure to grab the instant pudding mix. There are some cook and serve pudding mixes that will confuse you! Those will NOT work. You need the instant pudding mix in order for the frosting to set up.
- Vanilla Extract: This will add a nice flavor and will make the instant pudding frosting really taste like whipped cream!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Whip the cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric hand mixer (or use the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment) until soft peaks form.
- Add the instant pudding mix. Slowly add the instant pudding mix and beat until thick and creamy. If the mixture appears curdled, don’t worry! Add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream and stir it in using a rubber spatula. Continue adding cream or milk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until the mixture is smooth. (I ended up adding 3-4 tablespoons of milk to my instant pudding mix frosting.)
- Use to pipe or frost cupcakes or cakes! Place the white chocolate instant pudding frosting in a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the tip cut off. Pipe to frost cakes, cupcakes, or cookies! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
To get the best results, put the bowl you’ll be using to mix up the pudding whipped cream frosting in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to really chill it. The cold bowl will help the cream whip up and the mixture to set more easily with the pudding mix. Using a room temperature bowl is fine, the chilled bowl will just help it set faster.
Don’t freak out when the dry instant pudding mix starts to set up as you’re mixing. It will begin to look clumpy — that’s the gelatinized starch in the pudding mix at work. Continue mixing until it’s fully incorporated (not until smooth, just until incorporated). Once incorporated, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and gently stir it in with a rubber spatula.
Continue adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is smooth. Be patience and don’t fret! The texture will smoothen, I promise!
If you’d like, you can mix up the instant pudding by using a cheesecake flavored one or a vanilla one. I used white chocolate for flavor and to keep the frosting nice and white!
Stirring the milk or cream in at the end with a rubber spatula will also give you the chance to check to make sure there isn’t any instant pudding mix clumped at the bottom of the bowl.
The grainy pieces of instant pudding mix will eventually dissolve into the mixture so don’t worry about those!
Add a splash of milk or additional cream if the frosting sets too quickly.
This recipe made enough for me to generously frost 14 cupcakes.
Since the base of this frosting made with instant pudding is whipped cream and not butter, this frosting is best served on top of things (on top of cookies, cakes or cupcakes) and not inside (as a filling or frosting between cake layers on a layer cake).
Note: If you are used to American buttercream frostings, this recipe doesn’t taste like American buttercream at all. This whipped cream frosting is light, airy, way less sweet, and doesn’t have the butter base. Think of this as a flavored whipped cream that has the texture of frosting, is sweeter than regular whipped cream but less sweet than regular frosting!
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The sooner you use it, the better it will taste!
To freeze, store in an airtight container in the freezer for no longer than 1 month. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
You can also freeze cookies or cupcakes with this whipped cream frosting with pudding mix on top! Just flash freeze them until the frosting sets and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Recipe FAQs
I wouldn’t. Get the heavy cream and make the recipe as instructed. This way you can control the amount of sugar added (the 1/2 cup powdered sugar) and the vanilla extract. Cool whip is already sweetened so you wouldn’t be able to control that.
This instant pudding whipped cream frosting is stable. It doesn’t use gelatin like a stabilized whipped cream frosting, but instant pudding mix contains gelatinized starch so you get the same affect as gelatin. This whipped cream frosting will hold its shape and won’t melt or weep like traditional whipped cream.
It can sit out for a few hours — for example when you are serving your desserts with the frosting on them. However, once you are no longer serving them, I would store the frosting or treats with the frosting on them in the fridge.
First, if your frosting is runny, then I would double check to make sure you used INSTANT pudding mix. There are some cook and serve mixes that will confuse you. Those will not set up in this recipe. Second, be sure to whip up your cream enough!
More Frosting and Cupcake Recipes
- Basketball Cupcakes
- Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream - cold, and more as needed (see directions)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3.4 oz white chocolate INSTANT pudding
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the heavy cream and powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks. Gradually add the instant pudding, then beat until thick and creamy. If the frosting looks curdled, that’s fine, to fix it add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream to the frosting and stir it in using a rubber spatula. Continue adding a tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and no longer curdled looking. I ended up adding an additional 3-4 tablespoons of milk to my frosting.
- Place frosting in a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the frosting onto cupcakes, cakes, cookies.
42 Comments on “Whipped Cream Frosting”
Can this be colored?
Definitely!
Hi, could this be made ahead of time and stored in fridge. I need 2 days from now but not enough time to whip up and decorate on the same day.
That should be fine!
I never leave comments on recipes, but I HAD to share how fantastic this frosting is. I have been making cupcakes for the past 6 years and have yet to find a recipe that tastes good and frosts beautifully (buttercream makes me sick). Omg this was so easy! I was done making and piping in 15 min. Thank you a much. This will for sure be my new go-to!!!!!!!!
Meagan, thank you for coming back and leaving your amazing review! I am SO happy that you found this frosting and loved it.
Omg this icing is one of the best I’ve tasted!! I’m always trying to replicate the whipped frosting that the grocery store bakeries use and this tasted soo similar if not better! I’m so happy I found this recipe,thank you 🙂
Hooray! So happy you found it and loved it, Jenn!
loved it! Do you think it would do well if I added oreos for a cookies and cream frosting??
Melanie, that sounds super yummy! I would chop or crush your Oreos pretty fine and be very gentle folding them in, but I think that would work great!
Is the consistency of the frosting thick enough so that I could spread it on a cake or do I have to use a piping bag or a ziplock bag?
Judy, I would say the frosting is thick enough to spread on top of a cake. Just make sure to not use it for a filling inside a cake, as it isn’t dense enough to hold up the weight. Hope this helps! Good luck and enjoy!
This frosting is SO good, and easy to make, thank you for sharing. I love it, and to be honest I hate whip cream frosting…when you get it on a cake from a store it just tastes so fake and disgusting. My boyfriend’s family loves whip cream frosting so I had to find something that would work for family get togethers that I didn’t hate, since I love to bake. I have made this a couple times with different flavors of pudding and it always turns out amazing! It holds up well in heat too… I made it yesterday and it was 82 in my kitchen, I was worried about it even whipping up, but it did beautifully.
So happy to hear you love it Lynn! I agree, this tastes MUCH better than the store-bought stuff.
I used instant lemon pudding with heavy whipping cream for a lemon cake and it was marvelous. Probably the best frosting I ever tasted and it only took about 5 minutes to make.
One could use banana, vanilla, or virtually any flavor of instant pudding. Happy to have this in my repertoire. Thank you!
Hickory, that sounds delicious! I’m glad you found this recipe. I love that it’s so versatile. Thanks for your great review!
Im excited to try out this recipe on the weekend! Just curious, would I be able to colour the icing?
Sorry I missed you before the weekend. You can definitely color this frosting! I hope it went well.
Do you have to put the cakes in the refrigerator if you ice them with this icing the night before?
Stacey, yes you should put the cakes in the refrigerator. Since this frosting contains a lot of dairy, if left at room temperature for too long it can spoil.
Easy to make
Easy AND delicious!
I accidentally got sugar free white chocolate pudding. Can I still use it and should add more powdered sugar?
Nicole, you can definitely still use it! Sugar free pudding is still very sweet, so do not add more powdered sugar.
Is it ok to add food coloring?
Yes.
This is a really nice variation on whipped cream. The texture is really nice, and I like that it’s not so greasy like buttercream. I would suggest starting with less powdered sugar and increase if you like.
Halved this recipe with no problem.
Glad you loved it, Kelsey! Thanks for the 5-star rating.
Hmmm … looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. Makes me wonder if different puddings could be used to make other flavours … lemon, chocolate, etc ?? What do you think ?
Pam — you could definitely try different flavors!
Can I freeze this icing? Does it thaw well??
Hannah, I do NOT recommend freezing this icing. The dairy will likely separate when thawed and leave you with a drippy mess. Traditional buttercream frostings, however, can be frozen and then thawed before use! There are lots of buttercream frosting recipes on the site you can try. 🙂
As an amateur baker, I LOVE preparing cheesecakes, bundt cakes & cupcakes. Unfortunately, my frostings have saotaged some of my creations. That includes several whipped cream frostings…until now.
This was so simple & tasty! The pudding added that white chocolate flavor that my guests love.
Since the recipe was more than enough to decorate my cheesecake, I placed a dish of leftover whipped cream frosting on the dessert table. My guests were adding it to every dessert! Thank you!!
So glad you love this frosting recipe, Jerry! It’s a definitely family favorite. Thanks for leaving a great star rating and review!
It’s the white chocolate flavor strong? I’m looking for an icing recipe for strawberry cupcakes and don’t care for the heavy buttercreams on them.
Fairrn, I personally don’t find the white chocolate flavor to be too overpowering. But the great thing about this recipe is, you can customize it! You can use vanilla pudding if you find vanilla flavor to be less overpowering, or for strawberry cupcakes, you could even use strawberry pudding if you can find it!
This frosting is so good! Made it to top coconut cupcakes and it was a hit. The only drawback was that, at least in my area, white chocolate pudding was hard to find. Wondering if another flavor would work.
I have used the cheesecake flavored pudding and it is just as delicious.
My husband is the scrape-the-frosting-off kinda guy, but not this one! You’re right, it’s the perfect sweetness.
I’m trying this with vanilla instant in a couple of days since I could not find white chocolate. I might just have to leave out the vanilla extract or cut down on it. Will let you know definitely.
Hi! Does this icing hold its shape well? I know whipped cream and pudding can both “settle” flat. Can I ice my cake the night before? I’m planning to ice a giant cupcake for mommy daughters cake smash tomorrow!
Yes the frosting holds its shape. You can definitely frost the day before.