A Firmer Whipped Cream

• Usually when someone talks about stabilized frosting, they're referring to whipped cream frosting. When whipped, heavy cream doubles or triples in volume and becomes light and fluffy. Unfortunately, whipped cream frosting quickly deflates and becomes watery. Unflavored gelatin added to the frosting provides structure and creates a firmer frosting that's less likely to break down. To stabilize whipped cream, soften a little unflavored gelatin in cold water. Add boiling water to dissolve it, followed by a bit of hot cream. Beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form before adding the gelatin mixture. Continue whipping until the whipped cream frosting is firm. Spread this frosting on a cake or use a piping bag to make decorative swirls. Desserts that include whipped cream frosting must be refrigerated at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Use this frosting within two or three days.

Stand Up Buttercream

• American buttercream frosting is a cinch to make. Just combine softened butter, confectioner's sugar, a bit of milk and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slather this frosting on cakes, cupcakes and cookies or use a piping bag to decorate with it. If you're making ornate decorations, such as roses, though, or the cake will sit outdoors in the summer heat, you should stabilize the frosting with vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening has a higher melting point than butter and will stay firm even in warm weather. To stabilize American buttercream, use a combination of one part shortening to two parts butter. This stabilized buttercream is also known as decorator's buttercream, because it's an ideal choice for practicing cake decorating.

Those Sensitive Foreigners

• For an over-the-top, rich and creamy frosting, there's nothing like Italian or French buttercream. Both frostings are made by combining whipped eggs with a heated sugar syrup. Softened butter is then whisked into the mixture. Italian buttercream uses only whipped egg whites, while French buttercream incorporates whole eggs. Both these frostings are more time consuming to make than American buttercream and more prone to failure. To ensure success, heat the sugar syrup to 240 F before slowly whisking it into the eggs. This step stabilizes the mixture and forms a firm foundation. Cool the frosting to about 80 F before you add the butter. Make sure the butter is soft, but not melted, and add it a few chunks at a time. If the mixture seems too warm, hold an ice pack to the bowl to chill it. If the butter was too firm and isn't blending well, heat the sides of your bowl with a hair dryer. Continue beating until the frosting is smooth and firm.

Ganache -- Temper, Temper

• Combine chocolate and hot cream and you get a thick, delicious chocolate sauce -- ganache -- that can be used as a glaze, a frosting or the foundation for truffles. Although it's not absolutely necessary, you might want to stabilize or temper the chocolate before you begin. Tempering chocolate doesn't take long and it ensures a glossy, streak-free final product. To temper chocolate, heat chopped chocolate in the microwave for 10 to 20 second intervals. Stir between each cooking time until the chocolate has melted completely. Insert a digital thermometer in the chocolate. Dark chocolate must reach a temperature between 114 and 120 F, while white and milk chocolate must reach a temperature between 105 and 113 F. Add 25 percent more chocolate and stir until almost all the chocolate has melted. Continue stirring until the chocolate has reached a temperature between 84 and 88 F. At this point, the chocolate will begin to thicken. It is tempered or stabilized and can now be used to make ganache.