The Science of Whipped Cream

Have you ever wondered what happens when you whip cream? How does it go from a runny liquid to a fluffy foam in just a few minutes of whisking? In this post I will explain the basic science behind whipped cream, show you what its different stages look like, and provide some helpful tips when making your own.

The Basics

Selecting the Right Cream

Cream is the fatty layer that is skimmed from the top of un-homogenized milk. It is primarily comprised of water, fat, sugars, and protein. When making whipped cream, you should use a cream with at least 30%. In the United States, you can find both whipping cream (30-35% fat) and heavy cream (36% fat or higher) in stores. Both of these will work when making whipped cream. However, whipping cream below 36% fat may only achieve soft speaks. You cannot use milk or half and half since they do not have the required fat content.

Introducing Air Bubbles & Restructuring the Cream

You can make whipped cream with a stand mixer, handheld mixer, or by hand using a whisk. When you whisk the cream, you are introducing air bubbles into the mixture. At first these air bubbles will pop right away, but continue whisking. As they continue to be hit by the whisk, the membranes around the fat globules (yes, that is the scientific term!) in the cream will start to break down. This exposes parts of the fat globule that are hydrophobic (water fearing). In an attempt to get away from the water in the cream, the fat globules will begin to surround the air bubbles that are being introduced. Eventually - if you keep whisking - the fat will continue to surround the air bubbles and form a stable structure. That structure being what you know as whipped cream!

Temperature is Important

When making whipped cream you want your cream, bowl, and whisk to all be cold. The fat in the cream is more solid when it is cold, allowing it to better trap air bubbles. If the cream or bowl gets too warm, the fat may start to melt and release the air. To avoid this, place your bowl and whisk in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30 minutes before making your whipped cream. Metal or glass bowls are best as they retain the cold longer than plastic.

The Stages of Whipped Cream

When making whipped cream, you will see the cream progress through different stages. Whipped cream at the different stages has different structure and uses, as described below.

Soft Peak

The soft peak stage is when the whipped cream first starts coming together. Air bubbles are forming and are starting to be trapped by the fat, but the cream cannot completely hold its shape yet. It also hasn’t gained much discernable volume at this point.

Some recipes may call for whipped cream at medium peak stage. This cream is whipped slightly longer than soft peak whipped cream. The cream has more structure, but still cannot completely hold its shape.

Whipped cream at this stage is often used in pastry cream and mousse.

Stiff Peak

If you continue whisking, the whipped cream will reach the stiff peak stage. This is when the fat has completely entrapped the air bubbles creating a structure that can support itself. You know you’ve reached this stage when the mixture has doubled in volume and the peaks in the whipped cream don’t fall back over on themselves. Stiff peak whipped cream can hold its shape for a few hours in a cool environment. This makes it great to use for piping decorative toppings!

Over Whipped - Butter

If you continue whisking cream past the stiff peak stage, it will quickly become over-whipped. At this point, so much of the membrane surrounding the fat globules has been removed that fat begins to clump together and the air can escape - leaving your foam deflated, grainy, and greasy. In fact, your whipped cream is turning into butter. So if you looked away for a little too long and your whipped cream is overmixed, just keep going and make some delicious homemade butter!

Flavoring & Stabilizers

Whipped cream can be sweetened or flavored to your preference. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of sugar before whipping to add sweetness. Flavorings and extracts (such as vanilla or coffee) are best added once the cream has reached soft peak stage.

You can also add stabilizers to make your whipped cream last longer - perfect if you’re prepping dessert for a party ahead of time. Stabilizers include confectioners sugar (in place of granulated sugar), cornstarch, and gelatin - just to name a few. Different stabilizers are better for different purposes, so I encourage you to do some more research on the method that is best for your application. Perhaps I will make another post on whipped cream stabilization in the future :)

I hope this article helped you understand the science behind whipped cream a little more!