Are you new to the cooking war? Don’t know what the difference is between heavy cream and whipping cream? Do they both seem the same to you? Let me help get rid of this simple but confusing problem. First of all, heavy cream and whipping cream are not the same thing; keep it in your mind. And yes, some recipes need exact cream to forget the authentic taste. Yes, you need to know everything about these two types of cooking cream here. If you are vegan or lactogen tolerant, you also easily find dairy-free heavy cream or whipping cream in the market.
Comparison Between Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream
| Aspect | Heavy Cream | Whipping Cream |
|---|---|---|
| Fat Content | Approximately 36-40% fat | Approximately 30-35% fat |
| Texture | Thicker and richer | Lighter and more airy |
| Whipping Ability | Whips well, holds shape longer | Whips easily but holds shape for less time |
| Usage in Cooking | Ideal for thickening sauces and soups | Preferred for toppings and desserts |
| Taste | Creamier and richer in flavor | Lighter and less rich |
| Culinary Uses | Great for making butter and ice cream | Commonly used for whipped toppings |
| Heat Stability | Better for cooking at high temperatures | Less stable under high heat |
| Caloric Content | Higher due to more fat | Slightly lower calorie count |
| Suitability for Frothing | Less suitable due to thickness | More suitable for frothing |
What is heavy cream?
Walking in the dairy aisle, get any cream there, but you don’t know which one you need for your recipe. Then you need to know about them now. Starting with heavy cream, it is famous in every meal. And from the name, you also assume that it is a portion of milk. Yes. It is the topmost thick part of milk. This heavy cream contains 36-40% fat. That’s why the texture of heavy cream is rich and easily holds its shape for a long time. If you are a vegan, you can choose the dairy-free heavy cream, like heavy coconut cream, cashew cream, etc. you can easily find many types of vegan dairy-free heavy cream in the market, choose as your preference. These are tasty and healthy because they contain less fat than dairy-made heavy cream.
What is heavy cream used for?
Heavy cream is famous for baking items. Because it is rich and creamy in taste, you can easily use it to top any baking item. You can easily use it as a topper of your daily coffee by mixing it with sugar and some vanilla extract as your preference.
Heavy cream is also a perfect ingredient for any thick and rich soup like pumpkin, broccoli, and thick mushroom soup. If you love Indian food like butter chicken or pasta sauce like alfredo or cream sauce, you must need this heavy cream in your kitchen. Otherwise, you don’t get the authentic taste of this dish. Yes, you can easily use dairy-free cream in all of these dishes.
How to store Heavy cream?
If the heavy cream comes with a reusable container, you can easily store it after opening it. Otherwise, it would help if you had an airtight container or zip lock bag to store it in the freezer. But if you want to keep it for a longer time, try to hold it in the back of the fridge, not in the door sleeves. Following this step properly can help you store the heavy cream for up to one month.
What is Whipping Cream?
This cream is the second part of milk after taking the heavy cream. It is lighter than the heavy one. Whipping cream also contains fat, but it is less than heavy cream. There are many substitutes for this whipped cream on the market now, like coconut cream. It’s also a dairy-free and perfect match for your vegan grocery list. It just needs a cold bath to stiff up and hold its shape. Yes, it is susceptible to temperature. It just releases its form at high temperatures.
What is whipping cream used for?
Whipped cream is mainly famous for its light taste. It is mainly used in bakery items. This cream is one kind of the best light toppers in any cupcake or pound cake. It just needs cold weather for stiffing. Like take your liquid cream in a chilled bowl(a steel one is preferable), mix it with sugar and any essence you want, then beat it gradually. At first, you need to beat it at a slow speed and, from time to time, increase the speed. After some time, you can get a stiff whipped cream. Now you can enjoy it with your coffee or cake. You also add some optional thickener for a more stable cream like milk powder.
Note: Don’t overdo beating the cream. Otherwise, it doesn’t hold its shape, and some whipping comes with sugar a little bit. So read the packet before measuring the sugar. Otherwise, you end up with runny cream.
How long does whipping cream last?
It depends on the quality of whipping cream. If you want to store homemade ones, you can keep them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Store-bought ones differ from brands. Like many brands, add some preservatives so that you can easily store them in the freezer for 3-4 months and 1-3 weeks in the refrigerator without opening. And always keep it in the airtight container for an extended period.
Heavy cream Vs. Whipping cream- the most confusing debate
Now let’s see which cream is more helpful in the kitchen:
- The difference in the Cooking process: If you want one creme for your every need, I suggest you take heavy cream. Because it’s best for a baking item, your every morning coffee, and also usable in soup, pasta, etc., types of dish. Or, if you like the light taste, then whipping cream is perfect for you. You can easily interchange heavy cream with whipping cream. Both are used in ice cream. Heavy cream needs less time to thicken in any dish. But You can get a rich texture with an extraordinarily silky taste.
- Storing duration: Heavy cream is a more suitable option for keeping a long time in the refrigerator rather than whipping cream. It is also a multi-tasker and easy to find in any grocery store. On the other hand, you can easily store beating cream for a long time in the freezer. But you need to defrost them before use. So choose with your preference.
- Compare Healthy benefits: Whipping cream contains less fat than heavy cream. That means you get five more calories in one tablespoon from heavy cream rather than whipping cream. But both are pretty healthy. But you can easily convert to a dairy-free option if you are a health perfectionist because plant-based creams are lactogen-free and gluten-free. That’s why a lactogen tolerates it easily.
- The difference in price: Heavy cream is more expensive than whipping cream. You can easily find it in the dairy aisle of any grocery store. Finding a vegan one is sometimes challenging and also costs extra. You can easily make this at home with the help of youtube.
Whipping cream or Heavy cream?- Final Recommendation
Heavy cream and whipping cream are nearly the same as each other. You have it daily with your baking item, ice cream, soup. Both are interchangeable, so choose your liking. But you can get a rich, creamy texture from heavy cream and a little lighter result from whipping cream.
FAQs
- Can I use whipping cream in soup?
Yes, but it needs more time to get thicker than heavy cream.
- Can I make butter from heavy cream?
Yes. It is straightforward to make. First, you need to take a good amount of cream in a bottle and continuously shake it for about 15 minutes. Or you can use a mixer for that. After that, you find a solid portion of butter and remove it from the liquid part.
- How can I recognize the rotten heavy cream?
You find the liquid turning into a solid form called curdle, and also it gives you a sour kind of smell.
- Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream?
Yes, you can. Whipping cream is an excellent replacement in baking sessions. You just got a light texture and sugary taste for whipped cream. You also use this in soup or any sauce. But it needs some extra time to thicken.
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