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Imagine slicing into a cake and finding a thick, fluffy vanilla mousse cake filling that’s smooth like mousse but stable enough to hold its ground. This easy vanilla cake filling comes together in minutes, thanks to instant pudding mix, and pipes like a dream without sliding all over your layers.
If you’re into this kind of easy, no-cook filling, check out my chocolate cake filling made the same way, or go extra decadent with a swirl of Nutella buttercream.
Here is Why This Vanilla Cake Filling Recipe Works
No cooking required: Instant pudding mix does all the thickening work, so you skip the stovetop drama. If you don’t want to use instant pudding, see my recipe for white chocolate cake filling.
Super stable texture: This filling holds up beautifully between cake layers. No slipping, no sliding.
Fluffy but rich: Thanks to whipped cream and cream cheese, it’s light enough to not weigh down your cake but still full of flavor.
Make-ahead friendly: It sets up even better after a chill in the fridge, making your life easier on bake day.
Recipe Tips
Use room temp cream cheese: Cold cream cheese won’t blend smoothly and will leave lumps in your filling.
Whip cream slowly at first: This helps incorporate it without splattering or deflating the mix.
Don’t skip the pudding mix: It’s what gives this filling its structure. Make sure you’re using the dry mix, not prepared pudding.
Adjust the thickness: If the filling is too stiff, just beat in a bit more cream until it’s spreadable.
Use the paddle attachment: If you’re using a stand mixer, the paddle works better than the whisk. Over whipping can make the filling too thick and dense.
Chill if needed: The filling is ready to use right away, but a short chill in the fridge can firm it up even more if you need it extra stable.
Fill and spread: This vanilla filling is sturdy enough for layer cakes but smooth enough to spread inside my coconut cake roll (or any cake roll).
Fill cupcakes: Squirt some vanilla cake filling into the center of red velvet cupcakes (or any cupcake, really) before you add the frosting.
Top a cake: You can also use this as a topping instead of frosting. Spread it thick over something simple like my wacky chocolate cake for an easy win.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a quick stir before using if it’s been sitting.
- Freeze: This filling freezes surprisingly well. Spoon it into a freezer-safe container, press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and seal.
This recipe is a great make-ahead option if you’re planning to use it with something like my vanilla cake later in the week.
Vanilla Filling for Cake
This easy vanilla cake filling is everything you want: quick, fluffy, and just sweet enough. With instant pudding doing the heavy lifting, you get max flavor with minimal effort. Go ahead and upgrade that box cake or homemade yellow cake, you deserve it.
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Easy Vanilla Cake Filling
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 2½ cups heavy cream
- 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix, not prepared; use the dry powdered mix
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated then turn the speed up and beat until smooth.
- Slowly add 2 cups cream and whip on slow until it is well incorporated and smooth.
- Slowly pour in the powdered instant pudding mix. Increase the speed and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until it is thick. If the filling gets too thick, slowly beat in ¼ to ½ cup more cream until you get the consistency you like.
Notes
- Makes 3 ¼ cups of filling.
- Use room temperature cream cheese for a smooth filling.
- Use dry instant pudding mix—don’t prepare it first
- Add more cream (¼ to ½ cup) if the filling gets too thick
- Use the paddle attachment in a stand mixer for best texture
- No need to chill before using, but it does firm up more in the fridge
- Makes a great cupcake filling and can be used as a frosting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Hello! Would I be able to double on the cream cheese keeping everything else the same? I want it to be very cream cheesy taste 🤣
I don’t want to try it and I mess up the texture or the cream doesn’t peak. I will also sub the vanilla pudding with cheesecake instant pudding. Thank you
You can definitely swap the vanilla pudding for instant cheesecake pudding without changing the consistency of the cake filling. You can double the cream cheese but the filling will not be quite as thick.
Hi there, Needing to fill a decorate a cake about 5 days before an event. They want a stabalized lemon whipped cream filling. I’ve used this recipe before, but never froze the filled cake. How will this filliing hold up to being frozen and then defrosted 5 days later? (cake will be 2 layers with a filling layer of about 1/2 inch of this cream.)
This is the perfect filling for that! You can definitely freeze this filling and thaw it out later without changing the texture or creaminess. It won’t deflate or get grainy when you thaw it either. Thanks for the question. For a lemony flavor, swap the vanilla pudding for instant lemon pudding then add a few drops of culinary lemon oil or lemon bakery emulsion.
Can I use coconut cream instead of heavy cream?
I haven’t tried it with coconut cream so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
Thank you for this recipe. Can I use this vanilla cake filling to cover the cake as well?
Sure. You may want to add a wee bit more cream to make it more spreadable. Sometimes it gets pretty thick and can pull at the crumbs when you cover the cake.
@Dahn Boquist, thank you for you reply. I am making a birthday cake for my grandson. Will I be able to add a little colouring to it as well?o
Yes, you can add coloring. Since the filling already has a yellow hue then some colors don’t show as well. For instance, a few drops of blue will give the filling a slight greenish hue and you will need to adjust the amount of coloring to get the hue you want. I find that that gel food coloring works better because they are more concentrated and you won’t have to add as much.
Do you think crushed Oreos would be okay in this?
Yes, that sounds delicious. The crunchy cookie will get soft but it will taste great.
Hello, I made two batches. The first batch turned out perfect but the second didn’t thicken. It’s quite runny. I used the same ingredients and same measurements. What could I have done wrong?
One time I accidentally purchased a package of regular pudding mix instead of instant pudding. That will definitely happen if you don’t use instant pudding. You may want to double-check the pudding package to make sure regular pudding didn’t get used. You can fix it by adding a package of instant pudding mix to the batch.
Can you add fresh fruit with this between layers? Has anyone tried it?
Yes, you can add fresh fruit. The cake won’t last as long with the fresh fruit. The sugar will start to macerate the fruit after a while and the fruit will get soft and start to weep juices. I try to serve cake with fresh fruit within the first 8 hours after assembling it.
Could you use a lemon pudding mix with this?
Sure, it needs to be an instant pudding mix.
what kind of heavy cream do you use?
I use 36% to 38% heavy cream. With this recipe, you can get away with 30% cream.
Would it be ok to add one or two drops of lemon extract to this ?
Sure, that would work fine.