Cream

Cream sold in North America is pasteurized, often under UHT conditions. The main advantage of UHT (ultrapasteurized) cream is that it has an extended shelf life. While cartons of cream used in the bakeshop are often UHT pasteurized, they are not aseptically packed and therefore must be refrigerated.

Besides being pasteurized, cream is usually homogenized. Homogenization makes whipping more difficult, but many heavy creams and whipping creams contain added emulsifiers and stabilizing gums to aid in whipping. At very high levels of fat—around 40%—homogenized cream whips easily.