How to Make Fresh Whipped Cream

Whipped heavy cream

Heavy cream after being whipped partially

Heavy cream in liquid form

Why make whipped cream from scratch when you can just buy it out of a can or a plastic tub?

Because it’s amazing and takes moments, that’s why. In the age of convenience products, it impresses everyone when someone makes the effort to create something the hard way, but this isn’t hard, I promise! It just looks and tastes like it might be.

Stuff You’ll Need

• 4 parts heavy cream
• 1 part sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract for every 8oz heavy cream/2oz of sugar (optional)

You don’t need a stand mixer to make whipped cream, but I highly recommend using one. If you don’t have access to one, you can use an electric hand mixer, but be prepared to lose patience and stand there whipping the cream for several minutes. Use the whip with the most wires that you have. The idea is to incorporate as much air into the cream as possible, and by using a whip with many wires, you reach more of the surface of the cream and incorporate more air.

How to Do It

1. Begin with the heavy cream in your mixing bowl. Start whipping at a low speed to introduce the cream to the air and the movement.
2. Add the sugar to the cream, and kick the speed up a notch to a medium level.
3. As the cream develops soft peaks, add the vanilla, and kick the speed up again to a medium-high level.
4. Carefully watch the texture at this point. If it over whips, it becomes butter, and it can happen quickly! If it underwhips, it will deflate easily. It may take practice to figure out the perfect timing, but in the meantime, test the texture (and taste) with a spoon. I usually stop whipping right before it looks like it may become a solid.

Tip: Want flavored whipped cream? Instead of vanilla, try using a different extract (i.e. orange, raspberry, cinnamon, etc). Instead of extract, try using a liquor or a liquer (i.e. bourbon, Irish cream, coffee liquer). Experiment! Go nuts! (You can add those too).