This whipped cream recipe originally accompanied a Sachertorte from Rick Rodgers’ book Kaffeehaus—a study of the legendary desserts and café culture of Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. In Vienna, fresh whipped cream—schlagobers (translation: “very well whipped")—is an essential ingredient in daily life; a dollop tops coffee or tea, a spoonful gets dabbed on an afternoon snacking cake, and an unsweetened version garnishes soups. While store-bought Cool Whip has its charms, if you’re going to the effort of making pumpkin pie or rich hot chocolate, you’ll want to try this homemade whipped cream recipe.
Rodgers has a few tricks for achieving a stellar whipped topping for any and all desserts—whether it’s strawberry shortcake season or just the right day for an epic ice cream sundae. First, use high-quality heavy whipping cream—he recommends pasteurized over ultra-pasteurized—with a high milk fat content (36 to 40%) for the thickest, fluffiest results. Temperature is key: It’s best to whip well-chilled cream straight from the refrigerator in a chilled mixing bowl. A hand mixer will give you more control than a stand mixer will. For sweetened whipped cream, use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar—the smidge of added starch in powdered sugar helps the cream stand longer. A hint of vanilla extract is also imperative. It’s important to distinguish between the stages of whipped cream: Whisking until stiff peaks form isn’t always required—whipping the cream just until soft peaks form will give you a nice dessert topping. And take care not to overbeat, or you’ll get butter.
Ingredients
Makes 2 cups
Preparation
Pour the cream into a well-chilled bowl and add the sugar and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer or balloon whisk, beat the cream to the desired consistency. For soft peaks, the cream will be just thick enough to hold its shape in soft billows. For stiffly beaten cream, the beaters or whisk wires will leave distinct traces on the cream and stand in firm peaks when the beaters are lifted.
Do Ahead: The cream can be whipped up to 1 day ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. If liquid separates from the cream, whip it again, lightly, to incorporate the liquid.
Editor’s note: This recipe is reprinted from ‘Kaffeehaus’ and originally appeared on Epicurious in May 2006.
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Reviews (28)
Back to TopExcellent recipe, I knew I needed to make whipped cream so the mixing bowl and whisk were already in the freezer. I doubled it and it worked great, but I dropped one tablespoon of sugar so it balanced out the sugar from the pie. Excellent recipe
mirandabassss
Seattle, WA
9/1/2019
This worked out when I needed a quick recipe. I liked the texture and flavor as well.
mochigirl
Rch Cucamonga, CA
11/26/2017
Wow! What a unique spin on whipped cream! Confectioners sugar! Who would have thought of that? Thanks!
grumpiergourmet
Planet Earth
1/1/2017
"look for an old-fashioned dairy"?? thanks for that tip. i'll just mosey on down to my local old-fashioned dairy then.
ravetasmposse
berlin
8/31/2016
I don't know where the word cite came from. I meant recipe.
14sharmax
7/5/2016
I found this cite a little too bland. I was making twice the quantity and of course doubled all quantities. I then added an extra heaping teaspoon of sugar and some more vanilla. I was afraid to get butter so I didn't quite beat it long enough. I have always used confectioners sugar. A caution...someone was using my bowl. I used a larger one instead. It didn't work. Make sure you use the right size!
14sharmax
Stamford, CT
7/5/2016
Love this recipe and like it better with Conf Sugar than regular gran sugar!!
medic46
Crown Point, Indiana
11/16/2015
aaaand I just did what I can't stand it when people do -- forgot to give it 4 forks! So sorry to mess up the numerical rating. It's perfect!
Wes207
Charlotte NC
7/17/2015
I felt kind of like an idiot looking up a recipe for whipped cream -- who doesn't know how to do that?? But I'm so glad I did! This is the perfect level of sweetness, and as others have said, it whips up beautifully and holds that great texture. So glad to REALLY know how to make great whipped cream at last!
Wes207
Charlotte NC
7/17/2015
Very easy to make and tastes great each time. I've used it for pies, cakes and ice cream.
1eyed_1der_grl
Fremont, CA
7/11/2015
I've made this twice. Best recipe for whipped cream. I just made the bourbon whipped cream from this site, but I am disappointed. It's not nearly as sweet and tasty. Next time, I am making this one again.
JenniLeigh
NYC
6/29/2015
We have tried a few other recipes for whipped cream but this one always turns out great. The thickness and taste are unbeatable
Kare102
Austin, TX
5/2/2015
I used a submersion blender to make this and it took seconds. I probably did it a little too long, but the whipped cream did not become granular. I made it the morning of Thanksgiving and as I type on Sunday night, it hasn't separated. The consistency is almost the same as it was 3 days ago, but now just a little bit firmer. Since I made this to go with a gingery pumpkin pie, I wanted it to be sweet but complementary. I added brown sugar - a little less than 1/4 cup - to sweeten & a dash of vanilla. YUM is all I have to say!
Anonymous
Boston, MA
11/25/2012
Amazing. Four days later, this still was not watery.
Anonymous
5/3/2007
Fingers liking good
Anonymous
No location
7/25/2023
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