Fluffy, light, sweet whipped cream. Is there anything better? During a recent birthday party at The Chopping Block's Merchandise Mart location, we had a whipped cream contest! Two teams of thre had to pass the bowl of cream back and forth to see which teams could whip it first. It was a lot of fun, but also a good bicep workout.
Making whipped cream at home is actually very easy and much tastier than anything from a can or in a tub.
Here are some important tricks to make sure your whipped cream is the dreamiest and creamiest it can be:
- Whip it cold. Heavy whipping cream should come right out of the fridge right before you whip it. You can also chill the bowl and beaters you are using. Heat is the enemy here, because it causes the fat molecules in the cream to spread out, making it harder to introduce air into it.
- Start off slow. You want to eat your whipped cream, not wear it! So many people just crank their mixers up and end up with heavy cream everywhere. Start whipping slowly to incorporate some air. Once the cream starts to thicken you can pick up speed and really go to town on it.
- Flavor your whipped cream. You can add something sweet like white or brown sugar. Maybe you want to add some fresh mint, or even give it a kick with some ginger. Whatever you choose, add it when the cream is nearly finished whipping. You don’t want any of the additives to deflate the cream, so go slowly and taste it after each addition (yum!).
- Don’t over-whip it. Whipped cream should have what we call medium peaks. That means when you pull out the whisk or beaters, the cream should stand up on it’s own, but still look delicate. Over-whipped cream gets very thick and can turn into butter!
Fresh whipped cream is best served immediately after whipping, so make sure you have something delicious like this Gluten-Free Lavender Shortcake with Sweetned Strawberries and Cream to slather it on.
If you are interested in getting some hands-on experience making whipped cream, check out one of these upcoming cooking classes:
- Couple Cooking: Trip to the Keys featuring Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream
- Wine and Wine featuring Lemon Cake with Warm Blueberry Sauce and Whipped Cream
- The French Riviera featuring Apricot Financier
- Surf and Turf featuring Lemon and Whipped Cream Tartlets
- Food and Wine of Southern France featuring Lemon Cake with Lavendar Cream
What’s your favorite thing to top with whipped cream? Let me know in the comments.
OurOwner/Chef Shelley Young prefers to whip her cream by hand. Watch her technique in this video.
Want more how to cook videos? Check out our online video library.
