European Whipped Cream Frosting (video)
Not a fan of traditional buttercream? This European whipped cream frosting recipe is for you! It’s made with butter, cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk! This incredible Russian frosting recipe is perfect for cakes, cheesecakes and even as a filling for pastries. It’s easy to make and so delicious! This recipe is part of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series, where I share simple cake, frosting and filling recipes. Make sure to check out the entire collection!
Whipped Cream Frosting Video Tutorial
Watch my YouTube video for the step-by-step instructions for making this delicious European whipped cream frosting! Love my videos? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel and you’ll receive new recipe notifications!
Ingredients for European Frosting
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious Russian whipped cream frosting:
- Cream Cheese or Mascarpone: either one of these cheeses will work well for this recipe. Don’t let the mascarpone soften too much, otherwise it can separate.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: there is no sugar added into this recipe, besides the condensed milk. It’s fairly sweet and helps make this frosting extra rich and creamy.
- Unsalted Butter: soften the cheese at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to using.
- Heavy Cream: make sure to use very well-chilled heavy cream for best results. Try placing the mixing bowl into the freezer for 10 minutes to keep the cream even better chilled.
- Vanilla Extract: for adding some great vanilla flavor to the frosting.
How to Make European Whipped Cream
I LOVE to use this European whipped cream frosting recipe for many of my cakes and for a good reason. It’s not too sweet, it has great consistency and it adds moisture to any cake. This frosting doesn’t hold its shape as well as a buttercream would so it’s not ideal for piping decorations. It’s super easy to make but make sure to follow the instructions to get the best consistency!
- Softened butter and cream cheese (or mascarpone( at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until soft to touch but not melted. I prefer to use whipped cream cheese but an 8-oz brick of regular cream cheese will also work.
- Place the butter and cheese into a mixing bowl and whisk the two together on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp), and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk again for a few minutes until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Last, pour in the heavy cream. Make sure heavy cream is ice cold; I like to place mine into the freezer for 15 minutes. Whisk the heavy cream into the frosting JUST until light and fluffy. Do not over mix! Over mixing will cause the frosting to separate. I recommend mixing on medium speed to avoid separating the mixture.
- ALTERNATE method: alternatively, whisk the cream separately until stiff peaks form. Add the cheese and sweetened condensed milk mixture to the whipped cream and whisk for about 30 seconds, just until combined!
Try it with these recipes!
I come back to this recipe time and time again, using it for my ‘Chocolate Spartak’, ‘Pistachio Pomegranate Cake’, ‘Chocolate Raspberry Cake Roll’, ‘Tiramisu Crepe Cake’ and many others. You’ll also see this recipe in my cake cookbook, The European Cake Cookbook.
More Frosting Recipes!
Looking for a stabilized whipped cream recipe? Check out my other frosting recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Stabilized Whipped Cream – cream frosting stabilized with gelatin to hold its shape better!
- Berry Whipped Cream – the fluffiest and most delicious berry frosting with real berry sauce!
- German Buttercream – this creamy frosting is made with vanilla pastry cream and softened butter!
- Cream Cheese Frosting – 5-ingredient, super easy and delicious recipe!
Enjoyed this recipe? Save it to Pinterest for later!
Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- My classic KitchenAid stand mixer is a must for every baker’s kitchen.
- I love using this set of nesting glass mixing bowls for food prep.
- You can never have too many silicone spatulas.
- Use this set of jumbo cake decorating tips to garnish any cake.
European Whipped Cream Frosting (video)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp
- 12 ounces cream cheese or mascarpone, softened at room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, min. 35% fat content
Instructions
- Softened butter and cream cheese (or mascarpone( at room temperature for about 30 minutes, until soft to touch but not melted. Place the butter and cheese into mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, pinch of salt (about 1/8 tsp), and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk again for a few minutes until well combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Pour the heavy cream into a separate bowl and whisk it on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese, butter and milk mixture. Whisk again for about 30 seconds, just until stiff peaks form. Do not over mix! Over mixing will cause the frosting to separate. I recommend mixing on medium speed to avoid separating the mixture.
- If not frosting a cake right away, place frosting into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This will thicken the frosting further, making it easier to work with. Do not keep at room temperature for too long.
How long can it be stored outside
I recommend getting your cake frosted as soon as you have the frosting ready, otherwise refrigerate it 🙂 A frosted cake will be fine at room temperature
I love the sound of this recipe! ?Is it ok to freeze the frosting?
Hmm, I haven’t tried freezing it. I think it would be fine if the cake was already frosted; I’m not sure the frosting itself would hold up well though
how long can i leave already frosted cake out at room temperature.
A frosted cake should be okay for a few hours 🙂
Can this recipe be enough to frost 2 layers of 8 or 9inch cake?
Yes! Perfect for frosting a cake 🙂
Can you pipe flowers and foliage with this icing? And can the piped items be frozen for later use on a cake?
Love your recipes ?
This recipe isn’t good for piping flowers. I recommend using my ‘Meringue Buttercream Frosting’ for piping 🙂 This frosting is great for frosting cakes though!
I over mixed the frosting what will i do
Unfortunately, once the filling is overmixed, it hard to salvage. You can try refrigerating it overnight to see if it will set
Can you add gel food coloring to the whipped cream frosting?
Yes, absolutely and you can add different extracts 🙂
hi! i am making my mom a homemade vanilla bean cake and wanted to use something different for the frosting other than buttercream. i found your recipe on youtube (great video by the way!) and i was wondering if i could use real vanilla bean in the frosting? and if i used real vanilla bean would i need to still add the vanilla extract?
and one last question…
like i said, i’m making a vanilla bean cake with your whipped frosting, but i am trying to figure out what to put in the middle of the cake as a filling..do you think with your frosting that a chocolate ganache in the middle would be best or strawberries in the middle?
thanks so much for any advice!!! i love your youtube videos.
Hi! Yes, you can definitely add vanilla bean to the recipe; I would still include the vanilla extract. Strawberries or raspberries would be a great choice 🙂
Can you put fondant over the top?
I don’t recommend using this under fondant. You can use it as a filling inside the cake but not on the outside.
Hi!!! I just discovered your page! It’s great!!!
I was wondering if the amount of sweetened condensed milk can be reduced? Or will it affect the frosting consistency?
I live in Japan… and Japanese people like desserts to be less sweet ?
Thank you very much for your answer!
Hi! Yes, you can definitely reduce it without affecting the consistency. Enjoy 🙂
I just tried this and it was super easy! I’m so excited to frost my first cake! Thank you!!!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it! Good luck with the cake! 🙂
Hi! Does this firm up when refrigerated? I am making a 2 layer cake and the frosting in the middle is just piped round dollops. I need something that will not collapse under the weight of the top layer so my dollops remain in tact – there is no frosting on the sides so the dollops are a part of my decoration. I was going to pipe the frosting, let us chill to firm up and then put the top layer on…will that work with this frosting?
Hi Angel! No, this frosting does not firm up in the refrigerator. It will set up not harden in any way. I recommend going with a more stable cream for any stacked cake, like a French buttercream.
Can the frosting be stored in the refrigerator for later use? If so, how long will it last? Also, is the consistency stable enough for piping on cupcakes?
Yes, you can store this in the fridge. I wouldn’t keep it longer than a few days. If you let it stand in the fridge for a few hours, the consistency will thicken enough for piping 🙂
Do you think this frosting is suitable for a two tier cake? I’m making the cake for a wedding next month and the bride would like a whipped cream frosting
for her cake and this one sounds delicious. I just wonder if it would be sturdy enough to support a 12 inch 3 layer bottom tier and 10 inch 3 layer top tier.
Hi! This frosting will set and hold its shape but you will definitely need to add support into the cake layers (straws, dowels) to hold up the top layer. Hope the bride enjoys your cake! 🙂
Can it be done without the cream cheese?
The consistency may turn out to be a little different but it might work. If you don’t like the flavor of cream cheese, you can also use mascarpone – it’s not sour like cream cheese
Hi there! I’ve made this a couple of times and they were perfect! I made it again today but it turned out runny, even after placing it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Do you think it’ll help if I re-whip it for a few seconds with my hand mixer? I’m scared I might ruin this batch.
Oh, no! I’m sorry to hear that happened. Is it just soft or did it separate? If it’s soft, let it chill for a few hours then re-whip. Maybe your whipping cream wasn’t too cold or the other ingredients too warm. If the frosting is visibly separated, you’ll need to start from scratch. Hope that helps!
Thank you for your prompt reply. It is just soft and did not separate. It’s been in the fridge for hours now so I’ll just try to re-whip. Thank you so much! I always use this recipe to make strawberries and cream cake – it’s so good!! 😋
Mine came out like soup. Followed directions. Had to resort to my good ole buttercream. What a waste
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t turn out well for you. This frosting will separate when it’s overmixed!! Make sure you’re not overmixing once you combine the ingredients together.
Super easy and it come together perfectly. I wanted a hint of chocolate to top some cupcakes and another creamy cake. I simply added a paste of black cocoa powder in a tablespoon of heavy cream. Then added it in while I was adding the condensed milk. The color is a pale mauve, and I’m so pleased.
Thank you for this great recipe☺️❗️
Wonderful! A chocolate version sounds amazing! 🙂 I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
OMG, I’ve been looking for this recipe this for a long time! My son was invited to a birthday party, and the boy’s mom—who is Russian (just gorgeous BTW, lol)—made a strawberry cake using a frosting, which I’m almost 100% sure had sweetened condensed milk in it. It was the tastiest frosting and cake in the world! I also have another Russian friend (even more gorgeous, lol) who made Napoleon layered pastry with a cream that she said she used sweetened condense milk too. So I’m glad to finally crack the code when I saw your post and video. THANK YOU for creating this! I’m so happy and I just bought all the ingredients to make a cake for my son tonight. As a mom, it’s so important to have my son experience home baked goods. I loved it when my mom baked when I was little and had such good memories of it. So I really appreciate finding your amazing channel You are so naturally talented at presenting your cooking and baking and yes, you are gorgeous too BTW, lol! Wish you all the best and thank you again 🙂
Hi Jen! I’m so glad you found my recipe! I hope it’s close to what you’ve enjoyed in the past. It’s a classic Eastern European recipe that’s use for many different cake recipes. It’s a creamy and delicious frosting!
You’re very welcome! Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy!
Hello Tatyana,
I had a question. I was planning on making a whipped cream frosting with just whipping cream and condensed milk. So my question is that after I frost the cake, it needs to be chilled for an hour or two. While the cake is chilling, can the remaining frosting be stored at the fridge as well so that I can use it to pipe flowers on top of the cake? Also will the remaining frosting not get runny in the fridge? Thank you so much for the answer in advance.
Hi! I personally haven’t tried using just cream and condensed milk so I’m not sure how the consistency would hold up. I do recommend keeping the remaining frosting refrigerated. Any type of whipped cream starts to melt pretty quickly at room temperature. If it gets runny after standing, just whisk it again. Enjoy! 🙂
Please edit recipe where you need to reduce mixer speed down to medium right after or before adding mixture to heavy cream.
You will want to reduce the speed after adding the mixture. Whisk the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form.
I messed up and only bought 8 oz of cream cheese. Is there a way to adjust the recipe so it’ll still work? I don’t have a car so getting to the store is difficult. I was thinking I could reduce the heavy cream by 1/2 cup, what do you think?
Hi! Yes, you can adjust the recipe to make it work with just 1 package. If you go to the recipe card and adjust the yield from 4 cups down to 3 cups, it will give you all the new measurements: 3/4 cup butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 10 oz sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Enjoy!
Beautiful cream. I don’t like sweet creams and I was skeptical about using the entire can of condensed milk but it turned perfect. Thank you for this recipe. I just wish I stumbled across this sooner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! I’m the same way – I don’t enjoy frostings that are too sweet! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Can I whip up heavy cream separately and whisk it together afterwards?
Yes, that will work well, too and will reduce the likelihood of the frosting separating. Enjoy!