How To Turn Cool Whip Into Frosting With One Pantry Staple

When it comes to topping desserts with that finishing touch of cold, creamy lusciousness, Cool Whip is second to none. It's airy and light with a subtle sweetness that perfectly complements everything from French silk and chocolate cream pies to custardy pumpkin bars and fruity ice cream sundaes. Though its light flavor also makes it seemingly perfect for frosting vanilla cupcakes or angel food cake, its texture is a bit soft. It won't melt into a milky puddle like whipped cream, but it also doesn't have the structure it needs to stand tall straight out of the tub.

However, with a touch of culinary magic, you can easily turn your beloved whipped topping into a stabilized frosting worthy of dressing the best chocolate cake you ever put in your mouth, stuffing homemade whoopie pies, or even enjoying by the spoonful. The key to this transformation is powdered tartaric acid, commonly known as cream of tartar. Available with the baking supplies in most grocery stores, these white, sour little crystals are capable of helping Cool Whip maintain its airy shape for a few days.

The reason for this is that the acids inside the cream of tartar protect the structure of the proteins inside the whipped topping. Stabilized proteins help keep the pockets of air intact and prevent the water and fat from separating. This means you can stabilize your Cool Whip and fearlessly pile it high on your favorite sheet cake or custard pie.

Stabilizing Cool Whip with cream of tartar is a pretty simple process, even if you're fairly new to making desserts. Generally, a ratio of about ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar to 1 cup of Cool Whip should be just about perfect for achieving the right level of stability. With an electric mixer, beat the two ingredients on low for a minute to blend the ingredients together, and then keep whipping on low for another couple of minutes. If it hasn't reached the desired thickness, you can add another ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar. Stop beating the whipped topping as soon as it thickens, and don't use the high setting, as over-whipping could ruin the texture by making it grainy or lumpy.

It's best to use a gentle hand when adding cream of tartar, as using too much could make your Cool Whip taste unpleasantly sour. While that might be okay if you're frosting a citrus-forward dessert, it's best to avoid this altogether by sticking to the ratios listed. Be sure to level off your measuring spoon to avoid accidentally adding too much. 

If it makes sense for your dessert, you can also ditch the cream of tartar and stabilize frosting with Jell-O instant pudding mix, which is guaranteed not to sour your Cool Whip. You can use this method as a backup if you don't have cream of tartar on hand, ensuring that you'll be able to enjoy a delicious whipped topping-frosted dessert no matter what.