Lemon Whipped Cream Frosting

I must admit, this is my new favorite go-to-frosting for those days when you just need a quick and light topping for your favorite sweets.

Last weekend was Memorial Day weekend, and like the party people that we are (yes, there is sarcasm in there), we had three cookouts to attend – one of which was our own. Throw in a lot of pool time, a little bit of yoga, snacking on watermelon and ruffle potato chips, and you get the idea; my time was limited.

Angel food cake with lemon whipped cream frosting and strawberries

So when I remembered that I needed to make a cake for one of the cookouts (and a friend’s birthday), I freaked a little. The friend is a fan of the angel food cake, whipped cream and strawberries combination, so I knew I wanted to do something along those lines – But how to present it, transport it and keep it in the heat of the official summer weekend was what stumped me.

I eventually decided to top the angel food cake with the whipped cream, rather than keep the ingredients separate for serving. Admittedly, the reason behind that decision is because I wanted to (somewhat) hide the fact that the angel food cake wasn’t homemade… (Gasp! I know! But Whole Foods makes such a good one… And I needed to go to the pool! Not be stuck in my kitchen on a sunny summer Saturday!)

Getting the grill going and relaxing on the front lawn after swimming all day

Another reason? A cake that is so light, fluffy and delicious deserves an equally frothy and airy topping. The lemon adds a bit of zesty punch to the frosting and pairs so nicely with the strawberries.

Also, a side note – I whipped the topping slightly past your traditional “whipped cream” stopping point. I needed the frosting to be slightly firmer to hold up on the cake and at a backyard barbeque. That said; keep a close eye on the frosting! Do not over whip – You do not want butter to top your cake, people

More baked goodies for the cookout – Not my pie, but my photo!

PS: This frosting would be excellent on top of some angel food cake cupcakes – If I’d had the time for the baking, I would have tried that!

Welcoming summer with lawn games, food and friends

Ingredients for the Frosting

1 pint of heavy cream (2 cups) – Do not use light cream! Save that for your coffee and go for the heavy with this recipe!
I ½ tsp real vanilla extract
Zest of fresh lemon (I went around the “waist” of the lemon once with my microplane – That is the measurement for the amount of lemon zest I used – Feel free to adjust to your tastes and plans for the dessert.)
Strawberries for top/ cake or some sort of dessert for bottom

Pour the pint of heavy cream into a stand mixer; add the lemon zest and the vanilla extract. Beat on medium high speeds for several minutes until the cream develops soft peaks. Lower the speed of the mixer and continue mixing for a few more minutes until the cream holds up a bit more – Be careful not to over-mix! But if you do… add a bit more of the liquid heavy cream into your bowl, and fold in with a spatula until you reach the desired consistency.