Basic Technique: How to Make Whipped Cream

We admit to being a bit fanatical when it comes to making real whipped cream. There's just no way we'd make a beautiful homemade pie and then top it off with whipped cream from a can! Especially when making it ourselves is so incredibly easy and so very much better. See for yourselves!

One cup of whipping cream is enough for about 10 people to have a healthy dollop on top of their pie or bowl of ice cream. You can use heavy cream or whipping cream - just make sure the fat content is 35% or higher or you'll have a lot of trouble getting the cream to whip up.

Also, leave the cream in the fridge until the last possible moment. You want it nice and cold!

When you're ready make the whipped cream, pour it into a mixing bowl and add a splash of vanilla. One teaspoon or so should do it, but you don't need to be fussy. If you like sweeter whipped cream, add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Then just start whipping! You can use a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or a regular hand mixer. You can even do it by hand with a wire whisk, though we recommend having a few buddies standing by to take over when your arm gets tired.

First, the cream will start to thicken slightly and the whisks will leave trails in the liquid. It will gradually get stiffer and stiffer. When it holds a stiff peak - meaning when you take a scoop on the end of your whisk and turn it upside-down, the peaks on the scoop hold firm and don't soften back into itself - you're done. It should feel smooth and silky on your tongue.

This whole process takes about five minutes if you're using an electric mixer, and a bit longer if you're doing it by hand. Whipped cream will hold for a little while, but we like to make it as close to serving as possible. You can probably get away with making it before dinner and serving it with dessert, but don't try to make it the day before. It will hold best if kept cold in the fridge.

Also try adding extra flavors to your whipped cream! Before you start whipping, you can add orange or almond extract, a splash of liquor, some cocoa powder or melted chocolate, fruit puree, or citrus zest.

What's your favorite way to jazz up homemade whipped cream?

(Image: Flickr member Rhett Sutphin licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (29)

Another trick I've learned is to stick the bowl and the whisk or beaters in the freezer for half and hour to an hour before prep.

One secret to not getting tired when whipping by hand is to start out by just quickly moving the whisk back and forth in the bottom of the bowl (not lifting it at all). This allows you to use your arm muscles instead of your wrist, which most people find a lot easier. After it starts to thicken, you can start lifting the whisk (going in vertical circles instead of side-to-side) to incorporate more air. I don't think it's ever taken me more than 2 minutes to whip enough cream for 6 using this method.

I'm also a total purist when it comes to cream and added sugar. I think it's sweet enough on its own - after all, lactose is a sugar. Now, a little booze (bourbon, rum, cognac) mixed in is a different story...

I like to freeze any leftover; you just spoon it in dollops onto wax paper, and stick it in the freezer for a few hours, until firm, then wrap each dollop in wax paper and stick them in a bag. You can just pull out a dollop to put on hot drinks straight from the freezer, or you can defrost in the fridge for a while for cold desserts.

Of course, there's almost NEVER any leftover whipped cream in my house. Because, really, who can resist it on their coffee, on fruit, on hot cocoa, with pancakes...

Second Greige's tip - I left my bowl and beaters in the fridge overnight, and my whipped cream held up so well!

I also like to make it as close to serving time as possible, but if you MUST make it ahead I do recommend the gelatin trick.

If you're going to go the gelatin route, please warn the vegetarians. An alternative is the Dr. Oetker's whipped cream stabilizer stuff. If I remember correctly, it's vegetarian.

Be careful not to overwhip! It thickens very quickly in the last stages... If you've come a cropper, and over beaten the cream, add a small dash of milk to it, and beat it briefly - it'll turn back to pillowy lovelyliness!

Put the whipped cream in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl if you need to hold it for more than a little while so that any liquid that seeps out can drain, you likely won't need any gelatin then

My favourite whipping method - although not one I use anymore, now that my old (and deceased) hand mixer has been replaced by a KitchenAid - involved a drill. After the death of the hand mixer but before the advent of the stand mixer, I needed to whip some cream, and after my partner and I both wore our wrists out trying to do it by hand (I'll follow ericahd's advice next time!), he took a look at the whisk attachment from the hand mixer, which turned out to be a *perfect* fit in his drill... and it took about 30 seconds for nicely whipped cream.

I second what ericahd said. And I totally recommend doing it by hand too; this is one job that really doesn't require a mixer, and it's very easy to overwhip in one!

I third the comment about leaving the whisk and the bowl in the freezer before starting this process. I add a hint of sugar and vanilla - it tastes so good just by itself!

This tastes 100x better than anything you buy! :)

Totally agree with ericahd. Had bourbon whipped cream this weekend on both pumpkin and apple pies, and it was heavenly!!

I use my handheld stick mixer. I just put the cream in a pyrex measuring cup, dash of vanilla and a little sugar, and it takes like 2 minutes.

you can also make it in a magic bullet -- though it's not quite as fluffy -- still works in a pinch and it's better than canned.

I surround my bowl with ice water (inside a bigger bowl), and keep everything cool that way.

I agree with the others--stick the mixing bowl and attachment in the freezer!

and I also think the best whipped cream is just ever so slightly sweet with a little bit of vanilla. not too sweet and no extra flavors.

I bought this little sucker to keep in my freezer for making whipped cream. It attaches to the pro KitchenAid mixer and is also perfect for whipping egg whites (I do not freeze the bowl for this).
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku8282725/?pkey=cmixers-attachments|eltmixatt

If you are not making very much whipped cream, you can use an egg beater and a measuring cup. This would be a fun kitchen task for kids to help with! I also use my egg beater for whipping egg whites.

Lemon juice and zest, with a hint of honey in lieu of sugar. Best topping ever for fresh fruit!

Once you taste the real thing you'll never go back to the can or tub of the fake stiff. Love real whipped cream!

Adding instant espresso makes a great topping. Especially for tres leches cake.

I don't know gabrielaskitchen, last weekend we spiked a tub of Cool Whip with Grand Marnier and it worked just fine. :)

Cream powdered sugar (what we call icing sugar), vanilla optional electric mixer bowl= whipped cream. Simple, do it all the time. Whipped cream in a can, or any pre-prepared whipped cream is hardly used in Australia, and for most things is considered odd. It's only ever really used on ice cream sundaes.

I agree that real whipped cream is a must, but I'm seriously having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that we need instructions. It's whipped cream. You whip the cream. I mean, really.

Seems intuitive @m! but I've seen how badly it can go for a beginner -- a few months ago I asked my brother to make some whipped cream last for the pie while I got dinner on -- somehow when I wasn't looking he ended up making butter.

Whipping the cream by hand is a family tradition in our house. Everybody lines up and whips at the bowl until their arm gets tired, and then you pass it along to the next family member! It makes for some great fun, even if the boys do get a little overly competitive!

Can we get a post on the stages of whipping egg whites? Cream I'm fine with, but whites are a different story!

I always use regular white sugar in my whipped cream, and sometimes add a little Baileys instead of vanilla. Very yum! Also, if you make it in a glass bowl, it will keep in the fridge for at least a day without getting watery.

Also, add 1.5 tbsp of cocoa (sifted) and 1/4 or so of white sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla and voila - you have chocolate whipped cream. And it is so damn good I could just sit and eat the whole bowl as is.

The cold bowl/whisk trick worked perfectly this weekend. We were away for Thanksgiving in a place with no electric mixer, and we were able to make our whipped cream by hand in not very long at all! Thanks for the tip!