6 Dec 2014

How to Whip Cream to Stiff Peaks

I always prefer whipped cream frosting, you will find only whipped cream and ganache frosting in my blog since I hate buttercream!! The most number of queries I get is about whipped cream so I decided to write a detailed post on the whipped cream I use. Hope this will clarify all your doubts.


How to whip cream to stiff peaks


What is heavy whipping cream
Heavy whipping cream or double cream is high in fat content (more than 40%) and that's what is used to frost cakes. All over the world you get dairy heavy whipping cream but unfortunately in India we do not get dairy cream that can whip well. So we use non dairy heavy whipping cream which is soy based.



The advantage of using non dairy whipping cream is that it is very stable compared to dairy creams. Some of the non dairy whipping creams are Tropolite, Rich, MerryWhip etc. These are the creams I use.

Amul Fresh Cream
The dairy cream that we do get here in India is Amul Fresh Cream which has only 25% fat content. You need a cream that is beyond 35 - 40% fat content to whip to stiff peaks. Amul Fresh Cream does not whip to stiff peaks. You can break your arms and whip it but amul fresh cream does not whip to stiff peaks. You will get soft peaks but you cannot pipe designs with it. 

Milky Mist & Nilgiris Fresh Cream
Milky mist (medium or high fat) and Nilgiris fresh cream are new to the market in India and does have a high fat content (about 33-39%) but it is extremely unstable. I have tried both these creams and did not like it. You can use these creams to pipe designs but the pack needs to be fresh. Most of the time the cream is already split and spoilt. But there are many who have used these creams successfully. Also you need to be extremely careful while whipping since it becomes butter in no time. So watch like a hawk!


How to whip cream to stiff peaks

Non Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream
Now let's see more details about the non dairy heavy creams. These creams come in 1 litre or 2 litre packs and they are pre sweetened. You need not add sugar to these creams while beating but if you do prefer a bit more sweetness, you can add 1 tbsp. 

How to Store
These creams need to be kept in the freezer. You can keep this cream for 1 year from the date of manufacture, if stored properly (without frequent prolonged power cuts). I buy 1 litre packs and it stays good for many months. What I do is, open the pack and scoop out with an ice cream scoop or ladle or spoon or fork, the amount that I need and close the pack well and re freeze it. 

If you bake and frost a lot of cakes and therefore can finish the pack in a couple of days then you can thaw the entire pack and pour out the amount you need. I don't use cream often and I use only about half to one cup at a time and this is the way I store my cream. If you thaw the entire pack and re freeze it, it might get spoilt easily.

Thaw only the amount that you need, either in the refrigerator or the kitchen counter. I put the scooped out cream in a steel bowl and refrigerate it until it thaws completely because it is best to use chilled cream while whipping.

The other method to store is, you can thaw the entire pack and store in separate small containers or ziplock bags. You can put 1 cup of cream in each box and freeze it and thaw only the amount you need.

What you will need
  • Whipping Cream - 1 cup
  • Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
  • Steel Bowl 
  • Hand mixer
  • Ice bath (if using)
  • Icing sugar
  • Gelatin (if using)
How to use
1. Scoop out the amount of cream that you need and put it in a steel bowl. You can use an ice cream scoop or even a fork. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it until it thaws completely. Usually I frost my cakes in the night after my kids go to bed so by late evening I scoop out the cream and leave it in the fridge and by the time I need it, it is completely thawed and ready for my use. 

So scoop out a couple of hours before you need to use the cream. Also leave the beaters in the freezer. The cream, bowl and beaters should all be chilled.
2. When it's thawed completely, add 1 tsp vanilla extract to 1 cup of cream and start whipping at low speed. Generally it is advised to whip the cream over an ice bath. I'm too lazy to do that! You could try if you're a beginner.

3. Add 1 tbsp of icing sugar and gradually increase the speed to medium and then high. Whip slowly and be patient. For 1 cup of cream it will take about 7-10 minutes (approximately) for stiff peaks to form.

4. Over beating will cause the cream to turn to butter. If that happens, add more whipped cream and beat lightly, it might come back. I have never overwhipped to form butter but have read that you can bring it back by adding more cream.

5. The cream doubles in volume so use an appropriate vessel to whip the cream. Once the cream is whipped stiff, even if you turn your bowl upside down, the cream will not move.


Whipped Cream

How to stabilize 
Non dairy whipping cream is generally very stable and you need not add anything to stabilize unless it's a very hot and humid day. If you do want to stabilize, you can use gelatin or corn flour.

Gelatin - For every 1 cup of cream - add 1 tsp gelatin mixed in 4 tsp water. Sprinkle gelatin in water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. Then heat it for 30 seconds, it will become a clear solution. Let it cool and then add.


Adding gelatin at soft peak stage
Corn flour - In 1/4 cup of cream add 1 tsp of corn flour and cook this mixture until it's thickened. Let it cool. Beat the remaining 3/4th cup of cream and then add this mixture.

Start beating the cream and when you see distinct beater marks or at soft peak stage, add the cooled gelatin or corn flour mixture and whip again to stiff peaks.

Stabilizing agents are not needed for non dairy creams as they are already quite stable. You can simply add icing (which already has corn flour in it) and beat till stiff peaks are formed. 

How to color the cream
You can add any gel based color to the cream. I use americolor. I don't use much and use only rarely. Usually 1 or 2 drops of color is enough. If you want a dark shade then add more.

You can also add fruit purees, nutella, peanut butter, cocoa powder, ganache and many more to flavor your cream. If you beat the cream for 8 minutes, then add the color or fruit puree at 5 minutes and whip again till stiff peaks. 
If you add the color after stiff peaks, you might over whip. 

How to pipe using whipped cream
Once you whip the cream to stiff peaks, refrigerate the cream for about 20-30 minutes. It will set beautifully. Fit the piping bag with a nozzle and fill the cream. Add only little by little. Do not over fill the bag, since the warmth of your hand can also melt the cream.
Leave the bowl of cream in the refrigerator and fill little and re fill often. 

If the cream in the piping bag loses it's stiffness, refrigerate for 10 minutes and pipe again. If your entire cream looses it's effectiveness, you have to whip the cream again. Hence it's better to fill little by little.

There are 2 ways to fill a piping bag to pipe. Fit the nozzle and add the cream directly or add the cream to another piping bag and insert it into the main piping bag with the nozzle. This is called Double Bagging.




First method of adding cream to piping bag
The second method is better if you have a large batch to pipe. 
Second method of adding cream to piping bag - Double Bagging
Fill the bag with the cream and press around to remove air bubbles and pipe a little into the bowl to check if all flows well.

You can fill the bag with 2 colors of cream too.


Whipped Cream

Storing the remaining cream
You can keep the remaining cream in the fridge, covered, for a couple of days. Beyond that it's better to use it up or discard.

Do check this post on How to frost/ice a cake easily.


You can pipe such rosettes if your cream is whipped as mentioned above
Side Note
Please don't think since non dairy whipping cream is soy based it's healthy! It has a lot of trans fat. Any day, dairy cream is more healthy compared to non dairy ones!

Hope this post helped clear some doubts. Enjoy!


Until next time,
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98 comments:

  1. Really a Useful post... Love the way you explained ...

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  2. U clearly explained it with pics...... :)

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  3. Really a useful post,lovely step wise explanation

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  4. very well explained,thnx for sharing

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  5. I really appreciate the patience you have to do this really detailed post! Really helpful...

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  6. Very well explained Beulah! Very useful post for all beginners

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  7. Lovely detailed post .Useful for a beginner like me .

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  8. Useful post, but can you please let me know from which stores my daughter can buy the non dairy whipping cream.

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    1. Where does your daughter live?

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    2. I'm not from Bangalore, so have no clue about it. Sorry!

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    3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    4. Mayuri Patil your daughter can buy from aarife in Koramangala. They have tropolite.

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  9. Brilliant post!!! Very informative!

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  10. This is absolutely well explained post :-) ...which company piping bag do you use and from where can I buy it in Bangalore

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    1. I use simple disposable piping bags. I'm not from Bangalore so I have no idea about where you can source material from.

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  11. Thanks for sharing. Definitely one which I need.

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  12. Very well explained, detailed post. It is so useful for beginers.

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  13. Thank you so much for this post. All these days i was struggling with whipped cream. finally i got what I was looking for...Stiff peaks!!!

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    1. Glad to know this post helped, thanks for your feedback!

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  14. neat explanations..good info :)

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  15. such a wonderful and useful post beulah :) you have explained so well about the cream and its whipping

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  16. Thanks for sharing such an awsome and useful post.. Will it be possible for u to tell where I can find non dairy creams in Delhi??

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    1. Hi, thanks! I am not from Delhi and I have no clue. Sorry!

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  17. Nice useful post.It has mentioned in the non-dairy cream carton to use it within 7 days of opening.Can I still freeze it and use as mentioned . It comes in 1 litre pack. Is there any instruction to use within a week in any of the creams mentioned in your post.

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    1. I'm not sure of the 7 day thing, this is how I have used my whipping cream. if you use it cautiously, hygienically and re seal properly, it should be fine.

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  19. i used Rich's Whiptoping Gold cream ... awesome taste and good mouth feel compare to other cream ... now am very happy bcz Rich's 1 kg gold cream also now available at market ... try it and feel

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  20. When i whip and store the cream in the fridge... say it was for good 1day in the fridge... if i had to use it for icing how shld i go abt it...shld i re-whip it again and use??

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    1. You can whip the cream a day before you want to ice the cake and keep in the refrigerator. If you've whipped well, the cream will still be stiff the next day. If the cream has lost it's stiffness, then you have to whip again.

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  21. hi, is it ok if i add gelatin to the whipped cream for frosting a cake? i used a whipped cream powder and cold milk to make whipped cream and eventually a chocolate mousse out of it. i added gelatin. i whipped it again but it was liquid. but it did set in the fridge to become mousse, so did it become liquidy when you added the gelatin to the whipped cream?

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    1. I'm not sure how a whipped cream powder behaves, I've never used a powder so not sure if you can add gelatin to it. Generally, if you add gelatin to whipped cream, it doesn't become liquid, it becomes nice and stiff.

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  22. Thanks a lot for the patient explanation

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  23. Can you please suggest how ml cream should be taken for filling and frosting a 8 inch round cake?

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    1. It depends on what kind of frosting you wish to do. If you just want to fill and frost, you will need about 3/4th cup of cream. If you plan on doing some rosettes or anything else, you will need a lot more.

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  24. This is awesome Beulah! Great information indeed! Please help me with my whipped cream query. I am not in India and dont get bright/fresh white and stable non dairy Tropolite or Rich whipping creams. I use supermarket's double cream to whip, which is already off white in color. I have tried different vanilla extracts/essence - clear or pure, but result is the same as the cream itself is off white.

    My blackforest/fruit cakes lack this fresh bright white look :( Please advise if you have a solution to this. I stay in the UK.

    Many Thanks!

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    1. Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Unfortunately I don't have a solution to your problem! If the cream is already off white in color, then I don't think the end product will turn bright and white. Try looking for some other brand of cream.

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    2. Thank you Beulah for replying. That's very sweet of you. Sure I'll try different brands.

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  25. hi beulah,

    can i use merry whip cream for making icecream?

    thankyou.

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  26. Thanks a ton Beulah... thats a very helpful post

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    1. Hi, Beulah. This it's a wonderfully explained post. Something that I've wanted to know in a long time. Thank you.
      Q. Are all the non dairy whipping creams soy based??

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    2. As far as I know, non dairy creams are soy based.

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  27. After thawing how many days I can keep it in fridge...
    I thawed some cream n it's been 5 days...water separate out...is it OK to use it

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    1. Hi Sheetal, once you thaw the cream you need to use it immediately.

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  28. Thnk u sooo much it is sooo useful for bigginer like me.

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  29. Very useful post for a beginner like me. I followed the instructions and the icing turned out to b yummy..... Thanku

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  30. Such a nice post.i tried many baking recipes from your blog. It came out really well. Recently i tried dairy free chocolate cake as my all chocolate cake was utter flop
    And i was fulllly satisfied with the result. Thank you sooooo much everybody liked it. The other issue was with the whipping cream, i tried with amul fresh cream,amul whipping cream but not satisfied with end product.
    From your blog i came to know about non dairy cream. My hunt for this cream ended today. Yeahhh i got the richs niagra farms. Hope it work well. Thank youuu

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    1. It will work very well, just follow the tips given in this post :) and thank you so much for the nice words!!

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    2. Thank you sooooo muchhh
      The cream was just perfectt!!! It tastes just as what we get from shop. I'm sooooooo happy with the result
      Thanks again

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  31. Hi Beulah please let me know where can we get the whipping cream in Chennai?

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    1. Hi Adeline, I always get all my baking supply from waltax road.

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  32. Can we freeze double cream n then whip?. I have frozen double crean n thawed but it gets curdled after beating. All get wasted. But in stores i have seen some whipping cream kept in deep freezer

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    1. I always have my cream frozen and just thaw the amount I need and whip it. Doesn't curdle for me.

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  33. Hi beulah,
    I baking a red velvet and want to top it with a cream cheese and whipped cream mixed topping. As of now, i have a 250g la cremella cream cheese stick and 1 ltr richs niagra whip cream. Could you please tell me what are proportions i must take them both in, so that i can fill and frost an 8 inch dia cake and pipe it too.
    Thank you so much

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  34. Hello
    I lives in Usa and which cream should i use here i tries all the heavy wheeped cream but did not get the stiff wheeped cream out of it so can u pls help me yo select which cream i can use.

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    1. Sorry, I'm not from the US so can't help you!

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  35. Very useful information dear! I always struggle while making frosting! I will try as per your instructions! It should help me!

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    1. Hi Shalini, glad you found this post helpful :)

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  36. How do I make chocolate icing using tropolite? Can I use cocoa powder ?

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    1. Yes you can use cocoa powder.

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    2. Useful if you can let me know much of cocoa powder to use for 1 cup of whipped crea? Thanks

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    3. For 1 cup of cream, I use 1 to 2 tbsp of cocoa powder depending on how intense I want the chocolate flavor.

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  37. I don't get non dairy cream here.. I tried in amul and milky mist.. but when I add powdered sugar it curdled .. plz let me know wt would be the reason.. my daughter s bday is on Monday I promised her to do barbie cake .. plz help me sis

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    1. Amul and milky mist did not work for me too. I have mentioned the reasons in the post, read that. You can try blue bird whipping cream powder.

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    2. Do u have any post on whipping cream powder .. is the method same.. will it taste good

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    3. Sorry Lalitha, I have never used whipping powder. You can try by following the instructions on the pack.

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  38. After icing the cake with this whipping cream should we refrigerate the cake to set???

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  39. Which whipping cream is better? Rich or tropolite? Any suggestions Beulah?

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    1. Both are good. I buy which ever is available.

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  40. Hello Maam, I have question.is amul cream whipped cream a non dairy creamer

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    1. Please read the entire post, I have mentioned clearly about amul cream.

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  41. Thank you, thank you thank you!!!
    I avoided using rich or tropolite until now, as most of the people I asked told me it would last only few days. Being an occassional baker, it would not do well to purchase and waste the product. Hence, stuck to those pricey powder packs.
    Thank you for this informative post on storing whipped cream. I will try out rich or tropolite very soon. This is the first post well detailed about whipping cream.
    Good going��

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  42. Very good post was really Wondering how to use the entire pack of Rich's cream...thank you

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  43. Can i store tropolite whipping cream in plastic bottle? How u store did u used plastic wraps for dat plz suggest

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    1. I store it in the pack itself. Just make sure you secure it well.

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    2. How u store whn whipping cream in liquid form i used cling firm bt dat didn't work my cream smells so bad😞

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    3. That is why I don't thaw it completely.

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    4. Tysm i'll try to secure dat well😊

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  44. The topic is very informative and beautifully explained, I would like to ask you how can I use whipped cream powder for example bakerswhip whipping cream for making whipped cream in a cream whipper. Thanks in advance.

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    1. Hi Savjeet, thank you! I have not used whipping powder so can't comment on it. Follow the instructions on the pack.

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  45. Very detailed information.. I kept a unused frozen new tropolite pack in the fridge for thawing and forgot about it for almost 17 hours.. I kept it back in the freezer after 17 hours. Will it go bad? Can I use it?

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    1. Hi, I'm really sorry for the late reply. To check if it's gone bad, taste a tiny bit. It will taste and smell funny. Otherwise it's good.

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