Chantilly frosting is a lightly sweetened frosting made with whipped cream, mascarpone, and cream cheese. It's simple, no-cook, and perfect for chantilly cake and cupcakes!
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Whipped, lightly sweetened frosting made with tangy cream cheese and mascarpone with a hint of vanilla and almond.
Yield: About 6 cups
How much frosting do I need?: This recipe frosts 24 (or more) piped cupcakes, a 9x13 or 13x18 sheet cake, or a 9-inch two layer cake with thick frosting.
Similar to: Homemade Whipped Cream and Ermine Frosting
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Cheeses - Block-style cream cheese and mascarpone add tangy flavor and stabilize the frosting. Whipped or light varieties do not work in this recipe.
- Heavy cream - Necessary to make whipped cream. Lower fat milks like half & half or milk do not work in this recipe.
- Confectioner's sugar - Sweetens and thickens the frosting. This frosting is lightly sweetened as written.
- Extracts - Vanilla and almond extracts add flavor to the frosting.
How to make Chantilly frosting
- Add cream cheese and mascarpone to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until fluffy and smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add heavy cream and extracts. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip until stiff peaks form (this takes about 2-3 minutes).
- Gently add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and fold in until fully incorporated.
- Frosting will look light and fluffy with a uniform consistency.
Tips and tricks
Use very cold heavy cream - Leave your heavy cream in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the whipped cream. Heavy cream whips up easier and faster when it's cold.
Take care not to overwhip - Heavy cream can be whipped too far and will separate and get grainy. If you catch it early enough, add more cold heavy cream and gently mix to incorporate and bring it back together.
Gently fold ingredients together - Use gentle, sweeping motions to incorporate the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. This ensures it doesn't deflate and maintains its fluffy texture.
Refrigerate frosted baked goods - Chantilly frosting must be refrigerated after 2 hours at room temperature. I recommend using Chantilly frosting on oil-based cakes, which hold up better to refrigeration than butter-based cakes.
Frequently asked questions
Chantilly frosting can be made up to one day ahead of time. Store prepared frosting or frosted baked goods in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yes, if it's topped with Chantilly frosting. Oil-based cakes tend to refrigerate better than butter-based cakes, but both types will soften again once brought to room temperature for 30-60 minutes.
Chantilly frosting is rich, creamy, and light. It has a slight tangy flavor from the cream cheese and mascarpone, plus a hint of vanilla and almond. It's like a mix between cream cheese buttercream frosting and whipped cream.
Your frosting will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator and may deflate over time. Rewhip it before piping or frosting for best results.
Yes, Chantilly frosting pipes beautifully onto cupcakes or as a decoration on cakes.
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📖 Recipe
Chantilly Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 ounces (226 g) mascarpone, room temperature
- 2 cups (227 g) confectioner's sugar
- 16 ounces (454 g) heavy cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Add cream cheese and mascarpone cheese to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until fluffy and smooth, about a minute. Add confectioner's sugar and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip until stiff peaks are achieved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture and fold in until fully incorporated.
- Spread Chantilly cream over cooled cake or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Frosting must be refrigerated: Frosting made with cream cheese and mascarpone must be refrigerated if it sits out for longer than 2 hours. Store frosted baked goods in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. Remove and bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.
- Storage: Leftover frosting will keep for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. If your frosting begins to deflate, give it a quick whip before topping baked goods.
- How much frosting do I need? Recipe makes enough frosting for 24 (or more) cupcakes with tall, piped frosting, 36 (or more) cupcakes spread with a knife, a 9x13 or 13x18 sheet cake with thick frosting, or an 8-inch or 9-inch two layer cake all over.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!