Functions and Uses

• Heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, is used for filling baked goods and pastries. Heavy cream is also used in recipes calling for whipped cream as a topping or an ingredient. To create whipped cream, use a whisk or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Quickly incorporate air into the cream for three to four minutes for one cup of heavy cream. The heavy cream will double in volume when whipped.

Substitutions

• The thickness and high fat content of heavy cream is difficult to substitute or replace in baking recipes. If a substitute is required, 1 cup of heavy cream can be replaced with 2/3 cup of whole milk and 1/3 cup of melted unsalted butter. Crème fraîche is an adequate substitute for recipes that do not require whipping the cream.

Nutrition

• One ounce of heavy cream contains 103 calories, 11 grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat. Sodium is low, at 11 mg, but the cholesterol is on the higher side at 41 mg. One ounce of heavy cream has 437 IU of vitamin A and 15.5 IU of vitamin D. The mineral content is low with 19.3 mg of calcium, 18.4 mg of phosphorus and 22.3 mg of potassium.

Other Cream Products

• Other common cream products used in baking include butter, sour cream, crème fraîche and whipped cream. Butter is the result of churning cream and separating the butterfat and buttermilk. Whipped cream is produced by incorporating air by whisking cream into a whipped, fluffy texture. Introducing a bacterial culture into cream creates sour cream. This bacteria produces lactic acid and gives the cream a sour taste. Crème fraîche is a cream with 28 percent milk fat and a slightly soured flavor due to the presence of bacteria. Crème fraîche is thinner than sour cream and not as sour.