Basics

• Whipped cream frosting is creamy and delicate. You make it from whipping cream that has been beaten until it reaches stiff peaks so that when you remove the beaters from the mixing bowl, the whipping cream comes off the beaters in a peak formation. By adding granulated or powdered sugar, you add a touch of sweetness to the frosting to help stabilize it. The finished product is light, airy and offers a thin consistency, much like the whipped cream you use on your favorite sundae. Because of this texture, whipped cream frosting lacks the thickness and structure to support fondant and will collapse under the weight of the sugar dough. Instead, use a frosting that has a medium-to-stiff consistency.

Stability

• Since whipped cream frosting is light and airy, its stability is a factor for fondant. Fondant can be heavy – depending on the thickness you roll it into – and whipped cream frosting lacks the stability to hold fondant in place. Under the weight, whipped cream frosting, even when stabilized, will begin sliding out from under the fondant and creating bulges or tears in your cake’s finish. Whipped cream frosting does not crust over like other frosting varieties; therefore, underneath your fondant you would have a constantly moving, wet surface. This can cause cake collapses and crumbling.

Temperature

• You must refrigerate whipped cream frosting. Since you make it from heavy whipping cream, it cannot remain at room temperature. While you can put a fondant-covered cake in the refrigerator, the fondant will not have time to crust over to create a hardened shell to prevent it from moving, cracking or bulging. If it is hot outside and you remove a fondant cake from the refrigerator, the cake will sweat, which can turn your fondant soft and mushy and will make any dyes in the fondant bleed, so you will need to eat the fondant-covered cake right away. You also need to eat the whipped cream-covered cake right away, because it is not be something you could leave on display at a party.

Alternatives

• Buttercream is an alternative to whipped cream frosting. It can be just as fluffy and smooth as whipped cream frosting, but it offers stability and doesn’t require refrigeration. A good fondant buttercream is one that is made from butter, powdered sugar, shortening and flavorings. The buttercream needs a medium consistency so that it will spread on the cake layers, but still crust over and hold the fondant onto the cake’s surface.