Chill everything.
Cold is key. Pour the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into the bowl of your stand mixer. Pop the bowl and whisk attachment into the fridge for 5–10 minutes — this makes for faster, fluffier peaks later.

Bloom the gelatin.
In a small glass bowl, combine the gelatin and water. Let it sit until the gelatin soaks up the liquid, then microwave for 15–20 seconds. It should look like a thick, hot syrup. Stir well and let it cool to lukewarm (warm, not hot — we’re going for cozy, not curdled).

Whip it (good).
Pull your chilled cream from the fridge and beat on medium-high until soft peaks just start to form.

Add the gelatin magic.
With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the gelatin mixture right where the whisk is spinning. This ensures even distribution — no weird gelatin lumps here.

Finish strong.
Once all the gelatin is in, crank the speed up to high and beat until you reach stiff peaks. Try to stop before over-whipping (but if you go too far, don’t panic — it’ll still pipe beautifully).