This One Unexpected Ingredient Gives You Bakery-Level Whipped Cream

If you want a lighter, simpler frosting for your baked goods, whipped cream is always a good choice. It's simple to make, and its light, airy texture lets your cake shine. The one downside is its lack of stability; over time, it can weep as the fat and water separate if it sits at room temperature. Baking expert Kat Lieu tackled this problem over the years, finally settling on adding a surprising ingredient to keep her cream together: Greek yogurt.

The extra acid and fat in yogurt give the fluffy cream more structure to hold the air pockets created by the whipping process. Lieu recommends adding ¼ cup of Greek yogurt per cup of heavy cream before you start whipping. You can fold it in afterward, but whipping them together gives you more control over the resulting texture. Any fat content level of yogurt will do, though higher percentages will give a little more structure. Make sure the yogurt is Greek, as Greek yogurt has the watery whey strained out. Normal, runny yogurt will only make your whipped cream weepier! Once your topping is stabilized, read our tips for taking whipped cream to the next level!

The resulting whipped cream will have a slight tanginess as a result of the added yogurt. While this added sourness is pleasant, it should be considered when topping your dessert. This whipped cream pairs well with pumpkin pie, which we already suggest you to with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Berry cakes would also benefit from an added tang. You can increase the amount of yogurt to lean into the flavor even more. Using powdered sugar as your sweetener will help stabilize the mixture and may allow you to use less yogurt if you want to avoid the flavor it imparts.

This tip will also slightly thicken your topping. It will still be a lot less dense compared to a buttercream or cream cheese frosting, but there will be a bit of added bulk. With this tip, you can now make any of these cakes for the holidays ahead of time, knowing you won't have a soggy mess on your hands on the big day!

Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and Tasting Table.