Recipe for whipped cream
To make 500ml:
- 500ml single cream (up to 35% fat)
- 35g icing sugar
- An electric whisk (preferably multi-speed)
- A big bowl
Preparation:
- 1 hour before you start, put the whisks and bowl in the freezer. Place the cream in the highest part of the fridge, which is the coldest.
- Pour the cream into a bowl and add the icing sugar.
Start beating with the electric whisk, upping speed gradually every 30 seconds. Do not beat too long: the cream must be white in colour (when it starts to go yellow, it's starting to turn into butter!)
- When ready, either serve immediately or let the cream stand in the fridge for at least2 hours. Do not take out until serving time.
7 tips for making whipped cream:
1
Use full single cream: not fat free or light cream. It's the fat that gives it it’s cloud-like texture. If you use cream containing less than 30% fat, you won't make it stand up. If you don’t have single cream, use double cream + 10% of its weight in milk to thin it out.
2
Place the cream, bowl and whisks in the fridge at least 1 hour before starting.
3
Do not beat it for too long to avoid turning it and getting lumps.
4
Do not keep it in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Cream goes off fast.
5
Flavour it at the beginning preferably, to avoid making it runny from mixing at the end and to ensure it stays light and fluffy.
6
Add icing sugar after whipping, or caster sugar at the start.
7
Handle with care so as not to make it runny.
Use whipped cream:
- To garnish eclairs, puff pastires, other cakes and pastries
- As a base for fruit or chocolate mousse
- To make ice cream
- To make Bavarian cream
- To garnish charlottes
- On the side or to decorate bowls of ice cream, profiteroles, pies, tarts and chocolate puddings.
- Savoury: either plain or with herbs added, whipped cream goes with smoked salmon, artichoke hearts, cold roast beef and salads.
Some suggestions
- Mix whipped cream with a mashed avocado to make avocado cream.
- Colour the whipped cream with ink of a cuttlefish and serve with carpaccio of scallops on toast or smoked salmon and eggs.
- Whipped cream with mascarpone: use 1 part mascarpone to 1.5 parts whipped cream and add sugar to taste.
- Whipped cream with chocolate: mix 500ml whipped cream with 200g cooled melted chocolate, carefully.
- Chocolate whipped cream: beat 250g melted chocolate with 200ml cream together until smooth, by placing the mixing bowl in a bain-marie or larger bowl filled with iced water.
