Cupcake Frosting – Easy Whipped Cream

Cupcakes are usually associated with children but offer a plateful to grown adults and you’re sure to see their faces light up.  Cupcakes definitely appeal to every generation.  Although cupcakes may be served plain, it is the frosting/icing that makes cupcakes.  Whether it is a thick smear of cream cheese icing or the intricately decorated cake, it is often the icing that delights the taste buds, not just for the sweet and luscious flavor it adds to the simple cake.

In the tradition of easy cake recipes, here is the simplest frosting you can make – the flavored whipped cream.  Try sweetening whipped cream with a little powdered sugar and adding a few drops of vanilla essence, or citrus essence, or cooking chocolate powder.  Honey and maple syrup make good flavorings, as do liqueurs such as Cointreau an orange liqueur.

 Recipe: Basic Flavored Whipped Cream

This recipe frosts up to 16 standard size cupcakes.  I rather like my whipped cream a little sweeter so I would add 4 tablespoons of the powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until firm peaks form.
• Top each cupcake with a spoonful of whipped cream.

Variations to the Basic Vanilla whipped cream

Cointreau Flavored whipped cream

• Follow the basic recipe and substitute the vanilla extract for 2 teaspoons of Cointreau.

Note: Instead of Cointreau you can use Grand Marnier also orange flavored liqueur.

 Chocolate Flavored whipped cream

• Follow the basic recipe and add 2 tablespoons cooking chocolate powder.

Note: You can add liqueurs to this by adding 2 teaspoons of the desired liqueur.  Cointreau works well with chocolate whipped cream too.  You may want to try adding Kahlua or Tia Maria both of which are coffee flavored liqueurs giving the mocha flavor to your whipped cream. 

I’m partial to the liqueurs in whipped cream; they really do turn an otherwise simple frosting to a mouth-watering one.

Decorating Ideas

As you can see from my pictures, I used very simple decorations on the whipped cream – sliced orange and shaved dark chocolate using a vegetable peeler.  It is also very fun to decorate cupcakes, so just let your imagination lead you.