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Lightly Whipped Cream is our favorite topping for desserts and the epitome of easy & elevated. Easy enough to whip up at home and tastes so much better than anything store-bought. Once you start making your own, you won’t go back. The trick is to get medium-soft peaks, so the cream just holds its shape. Keep a close eye on your mixer, so you don’t over whip.
Start with cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. You want “heavy” in the name, so it has the right percentage of milk fat to whip up and hold its shape. Powdered or confectioners’ sugar mixes smoothly into the cream, so we recommend using that here. You can use granulated or caster sugar in a pinch, but it may not dissolve into the cream as well. Finally, you want to use a really good vanilla extract – we always recommend Neilsen-Massey – to add in a bit of vanilla flavoring to the cream.
Keep your mixer on medium speed and watch while you make it. It only takes a few minutes to whip up into to perfect medium-soft peaks. Stop and check as you’re beating to ensure that you don’t over mix. If you do, you can fold in some addition cold heavy cream to soften it up. It’s perfect when it’s soft enough to spoon or dollop on your dessert, but firm enough to hold its shape without getting runny. Serve on your favorite desserts like our Sweet Cherry Galette or Summer Peach Cake.
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Lightly Whipped Cream
The perfect easy and elevated topping, Lightly Whipped Cream takes minutes to make and tastes better than anything store-bought.
ingredients
1 cup heavy whipping cream or heavy cream, cold
2 Tbsp powdered or confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract, we recommend Neilsen-Massey
method
Step 1
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy whipping cream. Alternatively, you can use a large bowl and a hand mixer. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes using the whisk attachment.
Step 2
Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat on medium speed for about 2 more minutes until medium-soft peaks form. Watch closely to ensure you don’t over whip the cream. Medium-soft peaks will hold their shape, but the top will droop slightly.
Step 3
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
serving tips
Serve on your favorite desserts like our Sweet Cherry Galette or Summer Peach Cake. It’s also great on fresh berries, pancakes, or waffles.
