Recipe video above. My recipe for whipped cream that I use for "everything". It's actually Chantilly cream, the French name for whipped cream that's lightly sweetened and flavoured with vanilla. Use to decorate cakes, pipe onto cupcakes, dollop on fruit and swirl onto sundaes!⚠️ IMPORTANT: You MUST use whipping cream, not pouring cream that cannot be whipped! Check the carton label - they should say if the cream is for whipping. Some readers have had issues with the cream not whipping and I suspect that is the reason. 😢Stabilised whipped cream - To make whipped cream hold its fluffy texture and piped form for 2 to 3 days (it won't deflate or melt), stabilise it by adding mascarpone. It won't alter the flavour or texture. Other methods (like cornflour/cornstarch, gelatine) are unreliable or not as pleasant to eat.Yield - Cream doubles in volume when whipped. So 1 cup cream (250ml) = 2 cups whipped (500ml).
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cooling45 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Australian, British, French
Keyword: chocolate eclairs, eclairs
Servings: 2cups
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
Whipped cream
1cupheavy / thickened cream or whipping cream, cold - NOT pouring cream! (Note 1)
1/2cupicing sugar/powdered sugar, sifted (Note 2)
Vanilla flavour - choose ONE (Note 3):
1tspvanilla extract (my standard)- best economical option
1tspvanilla bean paste- my most used "good" option
1vanilla pod, seeds scraped (PREMIUM option)
For STABILISED Whipped Cream option (Note 4):
1/3cupmascarpone, fridge cold(40%+ fat, PLEASE GET A REPUTABLE ONE Note 5)
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!
Notes
1. Cream - You need to use cream labelled heavy or thickened cream, or whipping cream (or a combination of those words!). Low fat cream won't whip. Make sure it's fridge cold, else it won't whip. 2. Alternative - Or use 3 tablespoons of caster sugar (superfine sugar) for every 1 cup of cream. Icing sugar just works a little better because it dissolves more easily.3. Vanilla flavour - Pods are best (but pricey!), follow by vanilla bean paste (I use this because I like the authentic specks) then vanilla extract. Vanilla essence is artificial and tastes as such - not recommended!Vanilla pod - To scrape the seeds out of a vanilla pod, cut the pot in half lengthwise using a small sharp knife. Then scrape down the split pod using the blunt side of the knife to scrape the seeds out.4. Stabilised cream has the same light mouthfeel as plain whipped cream, but it has more structure so it will hold its fluffy form or piped form for 2 to 3 days, and it doesn’t squirt out as much when you bite into a éclair. There’s various ways to make stabilised cream but mascarpone yields the best result. Will keep for 2 days without deflating or weeping like normal cream. Read in post for more information.Volume: Plain whipped cream approximately doubles in volume but with mascarpone it is lightly less than double. So whether you make plain or stabilised Chantilly cream (which has an extra 1/3 cup mascarpone on top of 1 cup of cream), you will end up with approximately 2 cups of whipped cream.5. Mascarpone is an Italian cheese/cream that tastes like a rich cream. It has a consistency like softened cream cheese, it’s not pourable. Cheap imitation brands are not real marscapone and will not work, so please be sure to get a reputable brand, not an economical house brand as they are runny (pourable) so won’t work as a thickener to stabilise the Chantilly Cream.4. Making ahead – Non stabilised whipped cream will start deflating after 1 hour but will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge (though it will weep). Stabilised cream can be kept in an airtight container or piping bag for 48 hours, and it will be fluffy like freshly made! Do not stir before use, it will break and weep. I always put stabilised whipped cream in piping bags to hold overnight because it is the fastest way to use cream whether piping swirls with piping tips, or dolloping onto pies, pav, bowls of fruit, spread in cakes. Plus no risk of stirring (honestly, sometimes it is hard to resist the instinct to stir!).