Stabilizing Whipped Cream

Q. How much whipped cream will a cup of whipping cream make when it’s whipped? The recipe says to whip 1 cup of cream, then fold it into the rest of the ingredients. I want to use the frozen whipped topping because it doesn’t collapse as quickly, but don’t know how much to use.

A. The standard is that whipping cream will double in volume when it is whipped completely. So starting with a cup of cream should mean that 2 cups of whipped cream would be used in the recipe. The frozen whipped topping will stay whipped longer, but the flavor of your dessert will probably suffer. Frozen toppings are made with vegetable oils, and while they are flavored and sweetened they won’t taste the same nor give the same delicate texture. You might try adding a little bit of gelatin to cream before whipping to stabilize it. The procedure is to dissolve 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of unflavored gelatin in 2 Tbsp of cold water or fruit juice. Stir until it becomes clear. Heat ½ cup of cream until steamy but not boiling, and stir into the gelatin. Then add a cup of cream and 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar. The corn starch in the sugar will also help stabilize the cream. Chill this for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. You can add ½ tsp of vanilla about half way through if you want. When it is completely chilled, whip as you would regular cream. This will make a bit more than the 2 cups your recipe needs, but surely you can find a use for a little whipped cream.