How to make Whipped Cream from scratch – 4 Different Methods
Did you know you can make homemade whipped cream or whipped cream frosting with just 3 ingredients in just 5 minutes? Even if you don’t have a stand mixer or a whisk? Today, I will show you 4 different methods to make homemade whipped cream from the simplest bowl and whisk to the fancy stand mixer. And a few tips to make things easy no matter what the weather.
On this blog I have so many desserts that use homemade whipped cream in some way or the other; so it’s simply fair that I share with you this basic and most important – how to make whipped cream at home?
First the most common questions I get asked
What is the difference between heavy cream and whipped cream?
Heavy cream is often referred to as double cream and has a higher percentage of fat (36 to 38%) compared to whipping cream (30 to 32%).
You can use whipping cream very easily with most desserts. However, heavy cream you will holds it’s shaped for a longer period of time. Whipping cream is lighter with softer peaks and will stay good for some time.
Is whipping cream the same as all purpose cream?
It depends on the percentage of fat in the cream. If the all-purpose cream you buy is over 30% you can use it. But in most cases, it may not be. The best is to read the percentage of fat on the carton.
How to make Homemade Whipped Cream – 4 different methods (Save/Pin)
Ingredients – listed below in the recipe card with conversions.
Making whipped cream is a simple and easy process. Now it is important to remember that not everything requires stiff peaked whipped cream. Sometimes a softly whipped cream tastes a lot better such as with fruits and fruit purees.
- Place whipping cream in a bowl, preferably chilled bowl. Use a stand or hand mixer.
- Gradually add the sugar (optional) . You can use fine granulated sugar, I prefer to use powdered sugar
- Continue to whip until you have soft peaks
- Here you can see I have some soft peak whipped cream
- Continue to whip a minute more for stiff peaks.
- Now, this steak peak whipped cream is ready to be used. I put it in a piping bag with a star tip so I can show you how it pipes. Do you see how stiff it is on the spatula?
- I piped a nice swirl of whipped cream over this maple eggnog and dusted with some grated nutmeg. Can you see how beautifully it holds its shape?
I promised you 4 different method to making whipping cream, right?
Method I – The Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
The hand mixer step by step I shared above. 99% of the time I make homemade whipped cream in my stand mixer (unless I’m filming)
- Place bowl and whisk in the fridge for 7 to 10 mins
- Pour cream into the chilled bowl
- Start whipping using the whisk attachment.
- After a minute of whipping – gradually add in the sugar
- Whip another minute or two for soft peaks.
- And further minute more for stiff peaks (do not over whip the cream)
Method II- Ice bowl
If you live in a hot, humid place then whipping cream can be a nightmare. In summer it gets to 45 C / 113 F here and keeping the whipped cream chilled becomes a challenge. The best thing you can do is place a bowl of ice / iced water below the bowl of whipped cream. Works like magic.
- If you chill the bowl – you will make whipped cream faster.
- Pour cream in a chilled bowl.
- Beat with a hand mixer – here my bowl is small so I used only one of the attachments.
- Add sugar gradually after a minute
- Whisk until soft peaks form or stiffer peaks.
Method III – Bowl & Whisk
This is the method they teach you pastry school. Nope, they don’t give you any mixers. It’s a simple bowl and whisk. I use this when I need a really small amount of whipped cream and my mixer bowl would be too big for that job.
Again – if you chill your bowl – you will make whipping fresh cream easier.
- Pour cream into a chilled bowl.
- Hold the bowl at an angle over a towel so it won’t slip.
- Add sugar gradually after a minute
- Whisk until soft peaks form or stiff peaks.
Method IV – The Jar
Those of you that took home science in school probably remember doing this as an experiment. The whole class gets to shake the jar and make whipped cream? My Rhea loves doing this – shaking the jar!!
She loves softly whipped cream with fruits.
- Pour cold heavy cream into a chilled glass jar
- Shake it until it thickens
- Voila!! you have fresh cream.
10 Tips – How to make Perfect Whipped Cream at home (Save/Pin)
- Use high-fat whipping or heavy cream.
- Always make sure your fresh Cream is well chilled not frozen. Yup!! Frozen fresh cream does not whip well. Instead, it will beat until it becomes cold before it starts to whip!
- Chill your mixer bowl – Since you cannot freeze fresh cream another way to keep that cream chilled longer is to chill your bowl in the fridge for 7 to 10 minutes before you start whipping.
- Ice Bowl – You will notice that almost all my pictures have a bowl of ice when I make a homemade whipped cream.
Fresh Cream whips better and faster when cold but if you live in a hot and humid climate like here – then that fresh cream gets warm fast. To keep it chilled longer I use a bowl of ice under the bowl of Fresh cream. This help keep the cream chilled and whips faster too! - Start on a low speed and increase speed as you go.
- Add sugar a minute after you start whipping and vanilla a minute before you are done with whipping.
- Softly whipped cream is smooth, creamy and dollops nicely over desserts.
- Stiff peak creams are better for piping around cakes and cupcakes.
- If overwhipped the cream will soon start to separate into butter and buttermilk
- Whipped cream is best made when needed. It can be chilled and kept in the fridge for 24 hours but it is at its best in the first two to three hours.
- If you need to keep whipped cream longer – stabilized it. I have explained more below and on this post – how to stabilize whipped cream 5 different methods.
Softly whipped cream
Like I said above, it is not necessary to always whip cream to stiff peaks. Softly whipped cream does hold well and has a refreshing taste and texture. Often I notice my students are afraid that the cream will not pipe which leads to them over whipping. The danger of overwhipping cream leads to the cream separating into butter and buttermilk. This is my strawberry cream cupcakes with softly whipped cream frosting
How to make whipped cream frosting?
Often I get asked how can I make the whipped cream frosting. Adding sugar to whipped cream is all you do to make the whipped cream frosting. This cake below is my strawberry cream cake. Notice how beautifully smooth the whipped cream is? And how beautifully it can be piped?
Why and how to stabilize whipped cream?
Whipped cream does not have a long shelf life, usually just a few hours before it starts to lose shape and volume. Stabilizing whipped cream helps extend that shelf life so you can keep the whipped cream dessert a bit longer. There are many ways to stabilize whipped cream, the simplest being pudding mix to gelatin. I have explained in detail here on this post – how to stabilize whipped cream 5 different methods.
This cake below is my chocolate cake using stabilized whipped cream using gelatin and it lasted in my fridge for a good three days.
What is whipped cream buttercream?
Whipped cream buttercream is a lighter version of my buttercream by simply adding whipped cream to my buttercream. You can see I have used it in this Pumpkin Cream Cake as well as my Pink Cherry Cupcakes.
Frequently asked questions
Not really long. Usually an hour or so. If you plan to use it for dessert that needs to be kept longer – you need to stabilize whipped cream – I explained that in detail on this post How to Stabilize Whipped Cream – Five Different Methods.
Heavy cream is high-fat whipping cream. As long as you have 30 to 35% milk fat content you can use whipping cream.
Both single cream as well as half and half have low fat content. Some as low as 18%. While these are great additions to sauces, soups and coffee they do not whip.
In most cases, where you do not need to whip the cream, sour cream works as a great replacement.
NO, the cream had to be very cold in order to whip. Warm cream will not whip.
No, frozen cream will not whip either. The cream has got to be cold not warm, nor frozen. If you live in a hot and humid place, place a bowl of ice or ice water under the bowl of whipping cream to keep it cold.
When over whipped the cream will start to separate into butter and buttermilk. The greasy cream is the start of butter.
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Homemade Whipped Cream 4 Easy Methods
Equipment /Tools
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 250 ml Fresh Whipping Cream 38% fat
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Conversions – Please switch between Metric & US for more measurement options
Instructions
Method 1 – The Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Place bowl and whisk in the fridge for 7 to 10 mins
- Pour cream into the chilled bowl
- Start whipping fresh cream using the whisk attachment.
- After a minute of whipping – slowly add in the sugar
- Whip another minute or two until soft peaks.
Method II – The ice bowl
- Place ice in a large bowl with a little water. Place a smaller bowl over the ice.
- If you chill the smaller bowl – you will make whipped cream faster.
- Pour cream in a chilled bowl.
- Beat with a hand mixer – here my bowl is small so I used only one of the attachments.
- Add sugar slowly after a minute
- Whisk until soft peaks form.
Method III – Bowl and Whisk
- Again – if you chill your bowl – you will make whipping fresh cream easier.
- Pour cream into a chilled bowl.
- Hold the bowl at an angle over a towel so it won’t slip.
- Add sugar slowly after a minute
- Whisk until soft peaks form
Method IV – The Jar – making whipped cream without a whisk
- Pour cold fresh cream into a chilled glass jar (this works best when the fresh cream and jar are both well chilled)
- Shake it until it thickens
- Voila!! you have fresh cream.
Recipe Video
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Laraine
I’m really puzzled. I don’t understand why so many people add sugar and vanilla to whipped cream. Do their countries produce lousy cream? I find it revolting. Good cream needs nothing but itself—and, of course, something to whip it with. I use a small electrical hand mixer. At one time it might have had a bowl and stand, but I bought it second-hand.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Loraine, No these countries don’t produce lousy cream. They just have the option of unsweetened cream. I like a little sweetness to my cream.
Kushi
Love whipped cream and love all the different ways mentioned. Pinned !
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Kushi. I hope you try this.
Natalie
Love all the different ways to make whipped cream in the post – so informative! Love whipped cream ♥♥♥
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Natalie – GLad you love the details. Hope it comes in use some day
Camila hurst
What a lovely post! I absolutely love how informative and resourceful this is!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Camila. Glad you love the details.
Claudia Lamascolo
I love having so many options to make cream . I like the easy version for sure but they are all wonderful. I really needed to get one for my strawberry pie topping for today I will try it !
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Claudia, Yes, there is always more than one way to do things.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I love whipped cream, so versatile with desserts and love that there’s so many ways you can make it. Definitely going to be giving your methods a try.
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Bintu. Always a great way to eat dessert right.
hema
I really like your blog n recipe, I have always had success with all your recipes. Thank you for sharing this. So easy but still didn’t know these ideas.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you so much, Hema. So happy to hear you love my blog and my recipes. Thank you
Sonal Gotawat
Veena you always tell us the best way to do things. Thank you so much. Love your blog. I don’t have a stand mixer so this is very helpful.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Sonal. So happy to hear you find my blog useful. Thank you!
gigi
Thank you Veena. Love the trick of adding a ice bowl. I always wondered why my whipped cream never comes like everybody else. Today I put the ice bowl and wow.. it works – so quick too! Thank you
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Gigi. So happy it worked well for you. yes, the ice bowl is a great way and it works fast too. Thanks
Anonymous
Thank you for this Veena. I never knew about the ice bowl. I tried today and it worked so beautifully. Love your blog
Veena Azmanov
So happy to hear it worked for you. yes, the ice bowl is very helpful. Thank you!
Wonderland Events
That looks delicious. I can eat this with a spoon. love whipped cream. Thanks for sharing this post.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Wonderful Events