If you’ve ever wondered how to whip cream using a hand mixer, you’re not alone. Homemade whipped cream can be the perfect addition to a range of delicious recipes, whether you’re finishing a tiramisu or creating a beautiful set of eclairs. That is why it comes in handy when you know how to use a hand mixer.
Unfortunately, if you’re not used to whipping cream yourself, you might find you have a few problems when creating the perfect results. It’s easy to whip homemade sweetened whipped cream too much, which could lead to lumps in your heavy cream. You could also end up not beating your whipped cream enough, which leads to a runny result.
To help you out, here are some important information and tips when making whipped cream at home.
How to Make Whipped Cream: An Introduction
Everyone has their idea of what the perfect whipped cream should look and taste like. In simple terms, whipped cream is just heavy cream whipped to the texture turns into a light, fluffy foam. Whipping cream at home involves using a special whisk, stand mixer, or hand mixer to pull air into your whipped cream recipe so you get a bubbly mixture.
The more you learn about making whipped cream at home, the more you can have fun with your whipped cream recipe. It’s possible to make chocolate whipped cream with cocoa powder or add extra ingredients like granulated sugar, icing sugar, vanilla extract, or lemon zest.
You can also keep things simple and make your whipped cream with nothing but a chilled bowl, a whisk, and a bottle of thick whipping cream. When you’re first learning how to create whipped cream by hand, it’s usually a good idea to keep things simple.
How to Whip Cream With a Hand Mixer
Whipping cream with a mixer is extremely easy. Because you don’t have to worry about mixing the cream by hand, it’s much easier to get as much air as you need into the cream as quickly as possible. Just make sure you don’t overbeat the cream.
Follow these steps on how to whip cream using a hand mixer.
Step 1: Start With a Low Speed
Pour your cream into a mixing bowl and turn on your hand mixer. You’ll need to start with a relatively slow speed, so you don’t whisk too quickly. Make sure the whisk attachment is securely placed into the hand mixer.
Step 2: Play With Flavours
Add flavouring and sweetener. You can add flavours if you want to add a twist to the cream for your fresh fruit or cream pie. Brown sugar, almond extract, honey, and a range of other products are great for whipped cream.
Step 3: Increase the Speed
After you’ve added anything you might want to include in your whipped cream, the next step is increasing the speed. The cream will transfer from a standard fatty liquid into a thick, bubbly substance over time. Eventually, it would help if you ended up with a fluffy foam that forms firm peaks when you stop whipping.
Step 4: Final Checks
Once your cream looks as though it’s doubling in volume, you should turn off the mixer and check the structure of the whipped cream. If you have decent medium peaks, but they’re not fully there yet, you can whip a little longer until stiff peaks form. If you’ve accidentally whipped the cream for too long and you’ve noticed little lumps in your bowl, don’t panic. Add some extra table cream back into the bowl and whisk it into the mixture.
No Mixer? No Problem! Alternative Methods
You can always take different approaches if you don’t have a blender to create your fresh whipped cream with its amazing stiff peaks.
Mason Jar
Rather than spending minutes worrying about soft peaks when making whipped cream by hand, add some whipping cream or double cream and powdered sugar into a clean mason jar until it’s half full.
Close the lid and start shaking the mixture for as long as you can – for about 2-3 minutes. You might be able to see soft peaks in the cream when you open the lid. Be careful not to overfill the gar with heavy whipping cream. Remember, whipped cream can often double in size during the whipping process.
Not only is this method for making homemade whipped cream a lot simpler than most people realize, but it can be a lot of fun too.
Keep in mind that you will need to keep your whipped cream mixture in the fridge before using this method. The perfect whipped cream is much easier to make when the cream is already quite cold.
If you don’t want to use the shaking method, you can always practice making the perfect whipped cream by hand with a whisk.
By Hand
You can still make whipped cream by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer or a handheld mixer to whip heavy cream. The best way to get started with fresh whipped cream you’re mixing by hand is to get everything as cold as possible.
Cold cream thickens a lot faster than semi or lukewarm cream. It also helps to have the large mixing bowl and whisk itself as cold as possible. A metal bowl placed in a fridge before you begin whipping will help to improve the texture of your whipping cream.
How to Whip Cream by Hand Using a Whisk
Start whipping your cream by hand using the following directions to achieve the perfect result.
• Pour cold double cream or heavy whipping cream into a cold bowl. Everything should be as cold as possible when you’re making homemade whipped cream. However, make sure you’re not freezing your hand with the whisk.
• Wrap a damp towel around the bowl’s base to help you hold your bowl of heavy cream steady while you’re working on your whipped cream. This will help to keep the large mixing bowl steady. You can also use this method to use a hand mixer at medium or low speeds.
• Add a little salt and sugar: A small amount of salt and sugar can significantly improve your whipped cream’s taste and help give it more depth. You can also add other substances like vanilla extract or icing sugar to your double cream.
• Start whisking slowly: Just as you would start your stand mixer or hand mixer on a low speed, start whisking your cream by hand at a slow speed, maintaining a steady tempo. Many people prefer to whisk up towards the side of the bowl, so it feels like they’re beating their fresh whipped cream.
• Once the cream thickens, you can add cinnamon, a few drops of vanilla, or another flavour into the mix if you haven’t already. Keep whisking, making sure you keep going until your whisk starts to leave tracks in the heavy cream.
• Check the consistency of the cream every so often, looking for signs of medium peaks as your cream begins to take in more air bubbles. If your cream starts to form peaks, you can keep whipping until it looks similar to store-bought whipped cream.
When you’re done whipping, make sure you serve the cream straight away or place it in the fridge so it can stay cool while you prepare the next part of your recipe.
Perfecting Your Whipped Cream: Tips and Tricks
Wondering how long does it take to whip heavy whipping cream by hand? Mixing even one cup of whipped cream by hand will take a little bit more than mixing cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer. You’ll usually need to continue whipping consistently for about four to five minutes, slightly less if you’re using whipped cream.
Although it takes a little longer to get perfectly whipped cream this way, keep going until the soft peaks become stiff peaks, so you don’t get a disappointing result. Adding things like powdered sugar into your fresh whipped cream may mean it takes a little while for the soft peaks to become firmer.
Remember to keep your whipped cream in the fridge when you’re not using it, so it doesn’t lose its light and airy texture. The more you practice whipping cream at home, the better you’ll get at creating the perfect creamy mixture. However, remember it will always take time to get the right amount of air into your cream for the best texture.
Making Homemade Whipped Cream
If you’re used to getting ready-made whipped cream, making homemade whipped cream can seem complicated at first, especially if you don’t have a hand or stand mixer. But if you’re prepared with a bit of patience and some cold cream, you can get the results you’re looking for in no time.
Regardless of the method you will be using, remember to be patient when you’re making whipped cream, as stopping whipping too early can cause your whipped cream to fall flat – so it looks similar to standard double cream. If you have difficulty transforming your cold cream into homemade whipped cream by hand, you could always consider sharing the load around your family.
Ask everyone to get involved, either shaking your mason jars full of cream or taking turns with the whisk. Alternatively, if you make whipped deserts or frequently mix at home, now might be the perfect time to look into upgrading your homemade whipped cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Additional Resources
- How to Use a Food Flask
- What Pans Can You Use on an Induction Hob
- How to Clean a Halogen Oven
- How Does a Microwave Work
- How to Sharpen a Knife Without a Knife Sharpener
Tom is a former chef turned full-time food blogger. He has always been passionate about food, and loves nothing more than experimenting in the kitchen and sharing his recipes with others. Tom’s blog is one of the most popular food blogs on the internet, and he has won numerous awards for his cooking. When he’s not blogging or cooking, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.