Guidelines for Whipping Cream

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

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  1. Cream for whipping should be at least 1 day old. Very fresh cream doesn’t whip well.
  2. Chill the cream and all equipment thoroughly, especially in hot weather. Cream that is too warm is hard to whip and curdles easily.
  3. Use a wire whip for beating by hand. For machine whipping, use the whip attachment and run the machine at medium speed.
  4. If the cream is to be sweetened, use extra-fine granulated sugar or, for best stability, sifted confectioners’ sugar.
  5. Do not overwhip. Stop beating when the cream forms peaks that hold their shape. If the cream is whipped longer, it first becomes grainy in appearance and then separates into butter and whey.
  6. Cream to be folded into other ingredients should be slightly underbeaten because the action of folding whips it more and may overbeat it.
  7. Fold in flavoring ingredients last, after the cream is whipped.
  8. If the cream is not to be used immediately, store it, covered, in the refrigerator.