Here’s my recipe for whipped cream. Actually, it’s technically called Chantilly Cream which might sound fancy but it’s just whipped cream that’s lightly sweetened and flavoured with vanilla. It’s basically the better whipped cream!
For Stabilised Whipped Cream that will hold its form for 2 to 3 days, see recipe here. (I pretty much always stabilise my cream these days).
Whipped cream
The whipped cream I make “all the time” is actually called Chantilly cream. This is just the proper French name for sweetened whipped cream – as opposed to cream whipped without sugar. It has the same fluffy texture as plain whipped cream but a more luxurious flavour and an elegant satiny sheen. Basically, it’s a classier, tastier version of plain whipped cream!
All the things I use whipped cream for!
So many things! Here are just some ideas:
decorate and fill cakes
pipe onto cupcakes or mini cheesecakes
fill éclairs, profiteroles and apple turnovers
dollop or pipe on fruit
serve with apple pie and other pies, and apple crumble
Ingredients
All you need is cream, vanilla and icing sugar (powdered sugar) to make whipped cream (Chantilly Cream). For the stabilised option, you will also need mascarpone cream. Some notes on each of these ingredient is below the photo!
Cream – Heavy / thickened cream, or cream suitable for whipping (the carton should say). Here in Australia, there are also pouring creams which which will not whip. Such creams are clearly labelled as such!
Make sure your cream is fridge cold. Warm cream won’t whip!
Vanilla – For the best flavour, use vanilla beans. Else, in order of preference, vanilla bean paste (which has the little vanilla specks in it), vanilla extract and lastly, vanilla essence (which is the most economical because it is artificial – and tastes as such).
Icing sugar / powdered sugar – This is used to sweeten the cream. It’s finer and lighter than caster sugar (superfine sugar) so it dissolves more easily and adds a slightly more delicate sweetness to the cream compared to ordinary sugar.
However, caster sugar (superfine sugar) can be used in a pinch. The quantity to use is in the recipe.
How to make whipped cream (Chantilly cream)
Whether you are making plain or stabilised whipped cream, the method is the same:
Beat – Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat on high speed with a handheld electric beater or stand mixer. Move the beater around the bowl and if need be, stop once or twice to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
Fluffy with peaks – Beat for 1 1/2 minutes (for 1 cup of cream) until it becomes fluffy and you have peaks that stand straight upright, as pictured above. The more cream you start with, the longer it will take. As a guide, 2 cups of cream takes about 2 minutes.
Do not beat for ages else you’ll end up with butter! (Really, I’m not kidding. Butter is made from cream – just beat for ages and butter will form!) But before butter, the cream will become chunky and look a bit lumpy.
And that’s it! Ready to spread onto cakes, pipe onto cupcakes or dollop on bowls of fruit!
How to store whipped cream
Plain, non-stabilised whipped cream is best whipped just before serving. It will start to deflate and “melt” a bit after around 1 hour (sooner, on hot days).
Having said that though, it is still fine to eat for however long the shelf life of the tub of cream you used is. It’s just that the cream will be deflated!
To be honest though, these days, I pretty much always stabilise my cream when I use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes because this way I know that leftovers will be as great as they were when freshly made. See the separate recipe here – Stabilised Whipped Cream. Hope you find it useful! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Whipped cream – with stabilised option
Ingredients
Whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy / thickened cream or whipping cream , cold – NOT pouring cream! (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar/powdered sugar , sifted, sub 2 tbsp white sugar (Note 2)
Vanilla flavour – choose ONE (Note 3):
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (my standard) – best economical option
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste – my most used "good" option
- 1 vanilla pod , seeds scraped (PREMIUM option)
Instructions
- Whip cream – Place the cream, icing sugar, vanilla of choice plus mascarpone (if making stabilised cream). Whip using an electric beater on medium high, moving the beater around the bowl, or until whipped to stiffness you are after. Then it's ready for use!
- Stiffness options – Whip for around 1 1/2 minutes if you want soft peaks (kind of dollops) or 2 minutes for stiff peaks (for piping). See in post for photos of soft vs stiff peaks. If scaling up, it will take longer.
- To use – Fill a piping bag with nozzle of choice and pipe. Spread onto cakes or dollop on a bowl of fruit or onto pies!
Would it work to freeze pre-filled piping bags with stabilised cream, then thaw in the fridge before using? I would be using mascarpone and double cream (48% butterfat).
Can anyone tell me in terms of cakes how many layers this would fill an 8 inch cake
Can anyone tell me in terms of cakes how many layers this would fill and 8 inch cake
As you mentioned, this is indeed a game changer. I was asked to make a light cake with fruit and came across your recipe. Light, fluffy, and just dense enough to hold up to fresh fruit. Perfect and easy!
How much mascarpone d you do use if you have 2 cups of whipping cream
I just made, delicious and looks so pretty on my cupcakes
Thank you !!!
PLEASE HELP! I followed the recipe perfectly, and the cream was perfect last night when i had put it in the fridge, i’ve just gone to use it and it is so soft!! It held it’s shape for maybe a second before turning into soup. I’m not sure what went wrong as I used all the right products and followed everything. Is it fixable ???
In the words of the band DEVO you gotta “Whip it. Whip it good’
Although I normally don’t care for marscapone I tried this recipe on mini pavlovas I took to a friend’s Christmas dinner. It was perfect! Held up so well even though I made it the day before. I was able to pipe it on once I got there and they were delicious!!!
Hi Nagi
My stabilised cream didn’t work- it did the night of but next day was like soup
I don’t know why you say that pouring cream doesn’t whip – it absolutely DOES. That’s just false information.
Hi Nagi,
Is this cream equivalent to those used in fresh cream cakes?
Can confirm that Coles homebrand mascarpone works just fine, too. I think it’d be useful to add to the recipe notes that the quantity of sugar can be reduced or even omitted without affecting the stability of the cream.
Theres enough sugar in this recipe including vanila to give half the worlds population Diabetes. Sheesh at least 50% less.
Amazing. I can’t stop making your apple turnovers with stabilised cream, very fun to pipe out.
Second time around I used Woolies brand mascarpone and had no issues at all, perfectly stiff. Very keen to try it this on some more desserts. Thanks Nagi
I’ve been baking fairy cakes 5 dozen at a time and freezing them… you know the ones where you have jam under cream then cake wings on top. Well now I’ve seen this amazing Chantilly Cream recipe I’m excited to do this again… but can I FREEZE the finished cake as I did before?
Oh my goodness, this is fabulous. I have been baking for years making Chantilly cream, but without stabilising it with mascarpone. What a difference. The cream lasted for almost a week. Just shows you, you are never too old to learn something new.
Delish! Is this the kind of cream you would serve with scones in Oz?
This is incredible!! It really worked. I used it on your blackforest cake and it survived for almmost a week! Thank you so much Nagi
These look incredible! Haven’t yet made them yet; here in the Mid=west of the U.S. it’s deep winter and seriously cold out so making a recipe featuring the bright juicy mango seems perfect to combat the winter blues. I have a comment and a question- seperately. 1. I’m a Jew and, except for the lo ely mango (and, well, the cream too) this recipe is almost the same as our own soul food called a blintz. These are often times without a flavored filling but using a tastily-doctored cottage cheese-cream cheese combo, sweetened of course, with vanilla and sugar. Soo yummy but also fairly unhealthy— lotsa fat from the cheeses, and the crepes are often pan-fried, not baked! Just thought you’d like to know this. 2. Sadly getting marscapone, which of course would make the best stabilizer to get the cream to hold up, is just kinda outside my budget right now so would I be able to use maybe Ricotta cheese (whole milk derived) with a little cornstarch to thicken, or what about using ‘light’ cream cheese in place?Just checking on it….
Nina, I’m in Canada and the well known Canadian baker, Anna Olson uses a small amount of dried milk powder to stabilize her whipped cream. Check it out online. Hope that helps.
I am making a Lina colada cake which has a whipped cream filling. I need to add a can of well drained crushed pineapple. Your whipped cream recipe says to not stir the whipped cream after whipping. Can I fold in the pineapple after the cream is whipped?
Hi Nagi (and Dozer)! I made Chantilly Cream to top the mini pavs I made for Christmas dessert. I prefer my whipped cream less sweet. How much can I reduce the icing sugar without affecting the consistency and stability of the whipped cream?
Thank you!
Candace
I think this is an error. 1/2 cup of icing sugar 😵💫 I use 1 tablespoon per 300 ml