Homemade Whipped Cream with Vanilla and Stabiliser Recipe
This recipe details how to make classic whipped cream using cold heavy or whipping cream, finely sweetened with icing sugar and flavored with vanilla. It also includes options for stabilizing the cream to maintain firmness and texture for longer, perfect for decorating cakes, pies, and desserts.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 1 cup whipped cream
- Category: Dessert Topping
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Western
Ingredients
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream or whipping cream, cold (NOT pouring cream)
- 1/2 cup icing sugar/powdered sugar, sifted (or substitute 2 tbsp white sugar for every cup cream)
Vanilla Flavor Options (choose one)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (economical option)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (recommended for authentic specks)
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped (premium option)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Ensure the heavy or whipping cream is cold from the fridge. Choose your vanilla flavoring: vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or scrape seeds from a vanilla pod.
- Combine Ingredients: Place the cold cream, sifted icing sugar (or white sugar alternative), chosen vanilla flavor, and mascarpone if making stabilized cream into a mixing bowl.
- Whip the Cream: Using an electric beater on medium-high speed, whip the mixture. Move the beaters around the bowl consistently as you whip.
- Check Consistency: Whip for about 1.5 minutes for soft peaks suitable for dolloping, or approximately 2 minutes for stiff peaks ideal for piping. Whipping times will increase proportionally if you scale the recipe up.
- Use or Store: Use whipped cream immediately for piping or spreading on desserts like cakes, pies, or fruit bowls. If stabilizing, whipped cream will maintain its form and texture for 2–3 days in the fridge.
Notes
- Use only cream labeled heavy, thickened, or whipping cream. Low-fat cream will not whip properly.
- Ensure cream is well chilled before whipping; warmer cream will fail to whip.
- Substitute icing sugar with 2 tablespoons of caster (superfine) sugar per cup of cream, though icing sugar dissolves better.
- Vanilla pod is best flavor but costlier; vanilla bean paste offers authentic vanilla specks; vanilla extract is more economical. Avoid vanilla essence as it is artificial flavored.
- To scrape seeds from a vanilla pod, split it lengthwise with a sharp knife and use the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds.
- Whipped cream starts to deflate after an hour but can last 2–3 days refrigerated. Stabilized whipped cream holds longer and remains fluffy.
