Whipped Cream and Sour Cream in India

Our answer

Cream should really have a fat content of 30% or more to whip successfully so it is worth ckecking the cream available in your local stores for fat content to see if it is suitable. It is also worth bearing in mind that UHT cream can be more difficult to whip than fresh pasteurised cream. There is a product called Amal in India and the manufacturers suggest that it can be whipped. We understand that the cream may need to be really cold and also that the bowl and whisk should also be chilled thoroughtly to help the cream to whip. Also don't add any sugar or flavourings until after the cream has been whipped.

If you are using the cream as a filling for cakes then you may like to try creme patissiere (pastry cream) as an alternative. This is a custard made with eggs, milk and vanilla and Nigella has a recipe for creme patissiere on p22 of Domestic Goddess (as part of her Boston Cream Pie recipe). There are also several recipes on-line. If you make creme patissiere then it should be stored in the fridge as it contains eggs.

For sour cream in cakes you can use a thick strained or Greek style yogurt as an alternative. It has a slightly lower fat content than sour cream so for each 250mls sour cream use 220mls yogurt and 30g/2 tablespoons melted butter (or ghee).