Using the Mix

• It isn't a question of simply replacing the milk in your pudding with whipping cream. Instead, use just 2 tablespoons of the mix for every 1 cup of cream you'll need to cover the cake. Moisten the pudding mix with a few tablespoons of the cream, so its dry powdered ingredients can begin to dissolve before you add it to the bowl. Whip the remainder of your cream until it begins to hold its shape, then add the pudding mix paste and whisk until it's thoroughly combined.

Why It Works

• Most cookbooks advise having your cream, beaters and mixing bowl as cold as possible before you start. That's because whipped cream's foam is held together by the globules of milk fat, which break and then re-form around each air bubble. When the cream is cold, those bubbles hold their shape beautifully. At room temperature, the fat softens and begins to run, and your whipped cream begins to deflate and lose its shape. Instant pudding mix uses gums and chemical thickeners to bind up the proteins in milk or cream, immobilizing them and -- with them -- the liquid that would otherwise flow from the burst bubbles of whipped cream. The end result is a stiffer, more stable cream.

The Limitations

• Cream stabilized with pudding mix has a few limitations. For one you need to fill and cover your cake immediately, before the cream begins to thicken and set, otherwise it won't have a clean and smooth appearance. This is especially true for any decorations that require piping from a bag. The pudding lends your whipped cream crisp, sharp edges when it's fresh, but once it sets, it pipes poorly. The pudding can also give your whipped cream an unattractive yellow hue, and a strong flavor of inexpensive artificial vanilla. Taste the cream before you use it, and add high-quality vanilla, if necessary, to mask the flavor.

A Few Alternatives

• Instant pudding mix is an easy and inexpensive way to stabilize your whipped cream, but you can use other methods. Use your microwave to soften one generous tablespoon of marshmallow fluff, or two to three marshmallows, for every 1 cup of whipped cream. Whisk them in while your cream is at the soft-peaks stage, then continue until you reach stiff peaks. Professional bakers use clear piping gel, available at bakery and craft supply stores. Add 2 tablespoons for every 1 cup of cream, then whip it to stiff peaks. Unflavored gelatin also works well. For every 1 cup of cream, dissolve 1 teaspoon of gelatin in 4 teaspoons of cold water and then melt it thoroughly in your microwave. Cool the gelatin until just warm, and pour it into our whipped cream in a thin stream.