Have you ever encountered a recipe that asks for a heavy cream, and wondered if it's the same with whipping cream? We are guessing almost everybody who spends time in the kitchen had the same dilemma.
For once and for all, what is exactly the difference of heavy cream and whipping cream? Are they even two different things? The answer is a big yes. What is the difference, you may ask? One word: Fat.
The line that separates the two most common kind of cream is the milk-fat content. For a milk to be considered a cream, it has to have at least 18 percent milk fat. Heavy cream has more fat content than whipping cream, having 36-40 percent and at least 30 percent respectively.
Whipping cream can also be referred to as heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. It will work for all recipes that need to incorporate air to the cream, if you are aiming for the soft peaks.
Though both creams can be whipped, but the whipping cream has a lighter texture because it has higher fat content. But, if you will use it for frosting or icing a cake, opt for the heavy cream because it holds its form longer; whipping cream deflates faster.
None the less, both creams do their job of thickening your recipe, so if you don't have a whipping cream on hand and the recipe asks for it, using heavy cream will be just fine.
But what about half-and-half? Some are considered a cream, while some don't cut it because, like the previous examples, the fat content should be at least 18 percent. Half-and-half(s) have between 10.5 to 18 percent fat content, and couldn't hold air and stiffen like the whipping cream.
For your cheat sheet: Always take note that the more fat content a cream has, it is to more likely be whipped and hold a more stable shape. It is evident by its physical appearance that is thicker and less watery.
