very high, and more easily becomes granular
and watery.
How Different Creams Behave When
Whipped Cream for whipping must be
sufficiently rich in fat to form a continuous
skeleton of globules. The minimum fat
concentration is 30%, the equivalent of
“single” or “light whipping” cream. “Heavy”
cream, at 38 to 40% fat, will whip faster than
light cream, and forms a stiffer, denser, less
voluminous foam. It also leaks less fluid, and
so is valued for use in pastries and baked
goods, and for piping into decorative shapes.
For other purposes, heavy cream is usually
diluted with a quarter of its volume of milk to
make 30% cream and a lighter, softer foam.
The fat globules in homogenized cream are
smaller and more thickly covered with milk
proteins. Homogenized cream therefore forms
a finer-textured foam, and takes at least twice
as long to whip (it’s also harder to overwhip