7 Essential Tips for Making (and Storing) Better Whipped Cream
Whether you’re serving up pie, cake, pudding, or a sky-high ice cream sundae, there’s one thing all of these desserts have in common. They’re all made better with a dollop (okay, a few dollops) of lightly sweetened homemade whipped cream. Or perhaps you prefer a no-bake icebox cake or an easy trifle, where whipped cream holds its own as one of the main ingredients.
Either way, knowing how to make a good, sturdy whipped cream is a skill. An important one. So, before turning out your next dessert, make sure you know the essentials, from which ingredients to use to how to make a whip that doesn’t deflate, and what to do with any leftovers.
1. Use only “heavy cream” or “whipping cream.”
Because of their high fat content, whipping cream (30% to 35% milk fat) and heavy cream (about 36% milk fat) are ideal for this dessert topping. Steer clear from other kinds of milk — they don’t work for making whipped cream since the milk fat content isn’t big enough.
Read more → How To Make Whipped Cream
2. With one exception: use a chilled can of full-fat coconut milk to make dairy-free whipped cream.
The key is to use just the solidified coconut fat at the top of the can. It whips into a smooth, creamy topping that adds the perfect final touch to any dessert.
3. Want longer lasting whipped cream? Use a food processor.
Put away the stand mixer and forget about chilling a bowl. Your food processor or mini chopper is the key to long-lasting whipped cream, ready in less than five minutes.
Read more → For Perfect Whipped Cream, Use a Food Processor
4. Add crème fraîche to keep whipped cream from deflating.
Crème fraîche has a higher fat content than heavy cream, so a whip made with this duo will hold firm for quite a while. With this method you can even prepare the whipped cream hours before dessert hits the table.
Read more → The Secret to Nancy Silverton’s Perfect Whipped Cream
5. You can make light and fluffy whipped cream with just a mason jar.
No tired arm from whisking. No lugging the stand mixer out just to make a few dollops of whipped cream. No beaters to wash, or immersion blender to clean. Just a mason jar.
6. A few extra tablespoons of cream will fix over-whipped cream.
As long as you haven’t whipped the cream into butter yet, there’s an easy fix. Just whisk in a little more cream and everything will smooth back out.
7. Don’t toss leftover whipped cream — freeze it.
Make too much whipped cream? No problem! You can freeze the leftovers by spooning it onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet, then transfer the dollops to a freezer bag.
Read more → Leftover Whipped Cream? Freeze It!