Whipping Cream Instead of Double Cream

Our answer

Double cream has a high fat content which makes it very good for whipping. However it is difficult to find outside the UK and it is possible in most cases to use whipping cream (in the US heavy cream) as an alternative. You always use the same amount of cream if substituting whipping cream. In sauces and recipes where the cream is cooked, rather than whipped, you can use whipping cream without any major adjustments. If the sauce is very acidic (such as a tomato sauce) then you may want to add the sauce off the heat and don't boil the sauce after the cream has been added, as it could separate.

If the cream needs to be whipped then you should check that the fat content is 30% or more. Also UHT cream tends not to whip as well as pasteurized cream. For recipes where you may need to whip the cream with other ingredients (such as the no-churn ice creams) you should whip the cream to soft peaks first and then whisk or fold in the other ingredients. If the whipped cream is for a topping then you should whip the cream just before you need it. Unfortunately whipping cream is not as stable as double cream when whipped and will tend to separate slightly if left to stand for too long, so we suggest whipping it at the last minute.

If using vanilla extract instead of vanilla pods (beans) then often there is some guidance on the packaging as to how much of the extract will be the same as one pod. If in doubt then use 1-2 teaspoons of extract.