If you’re someone who likes to bake cakes or craft desserts you’ve probably come across heavy cream listed among the ingredients you need. Heavy cream is more commonly labelled as thickened cream in Australia, with a fat percentage of around 35%. As well as a higher fat percentage, it also sometimes has ingredients added like gelatine and vegetable gums, all of which help it hold its shape when whipped and reduce the risk of curdling.
When considering the question “Is heavy cream thickened cream?” it’s important to look at the recipe you might be using, and where it has come from. If it’s an American recipe, be careful. Their version of heavy cream is more like pure cream in Australia, with a fat percentage closer to 40%. It’s important to use the cream with the correct fat percentage, as using a cream with lower fat could yield quite different results from the ones you’re expecting.
Heavy cream vs thickened cream vs whipping cream: is there a difference?
Heavy cream, with a milk fat percentage lying somewhere between 36 and 40%, is commonly sold as ‘whipping cream’ in the US. This is because it holds its shape well after whipping and can withstand a lot of whipping and whisking without splitting or curdling. It’s the ideal cream to use if you want to add a perfect finishing touch to a cake, or other dessert, or pipe a cream filling into some pastries.
More often than not, heavy cream and thickened cream are used interchangeably within Australian recipes, as they all have similar fat content percentages and so yield fairly similar results. If you’re using an American recipe though, just make sure to check whether it’s asking for heavy cream or whipping cream. If it calls for whipping cream, you’ll probably need pure cream to get the same results.
If you’re after something really rich, then double cream could be your answer. This has the highest fat percentage – 48% – and adds that touch of decadence to any dessert. It’s perfect just poured alongside fresh fruit, as a whipped topping to a hot chocolate, or even for adding richness to savoury dishes.
Explore our full range of thickened cream today
So, heavy cream vs thickened cream: is there actually a difference, or are they just the same thing with different titles? In most cases, they’re the same thing; they can be used interchangeably and will bring you the same, delicious results. As a rule of thumb, always check the ingredients list on your pots of cream to find out what fat percentage it has.
Here at the Little Big Dairy, we’ve been supplying retailers, cafés and individual customers across Australia with high-quality, sustainably sourced dairy products since 2012. From full cream milk through pure pouring cream to freshly churned Australian butter, we’re sure we’ll have exactly what you need for your next recipe. Head over to our Where to Buy page for a full list of our partnering retailers.
