Today we’re looking at different kinds of cream: whipping cream and heavy cream, with a brief glance at light cream and half and half.

As per usual, let us start with the definitions:

• Whipping cream: cream with enough butterfat to allow it to be made into whipped cream
• Heavy cream: thick cream having a higher percentage of butterfat

Interestingly, according to Martha Stewart, heavy cream is better used for making whipped cream than whipping cream.

And, whipping cream can also be called heavy whipping cream, just to make things a little bit more confusing.

All creams include a minimum of 18% fat; whipping cream is slightly lighter than heavy cream, with the former containing 30% fat, and latter containing at least 36%. The more fat there is in the cream, the more stable it will be for whipping. Whipping cream is more likely to not hold up as well, and to turn back into a liquid. 

Therefore, whipping cream is good to use as a filling for say, pastries. Whereas heavy cream can form stiffer peaks, and so is ideal for toppings for pastries or desserts, or to use for thickening sauces – such as with Alfredo sauce.

Light cream, as the name suggests, has less fat in it than whipping cream or heavy cream – only about 20%. Light cream is great to use in coffee, as is half and half, which is equal parts cream and milk.

The next time you need a filling for a dessert, consider whipping cream. A topping? Go ahead and use heavy cream for your base.

Thank you to Dictionary.com, YumSugar.com, SimmerAndBoil.CookingLight.com, Food52.com, MarthaStewart.com, and FineCooking.com for information on whipping cream versus heavy cream.