Recipes

Flavored Whipped Cream

Jeffrey Larsen

Gluten-Free Baking At Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More

"Whipped cream is always a welcome addition to any dessert. You can make it plain, but I would encourage you to try some of the variations. My colleague and friend Kristene Loayza taught me how to transform my whipped cream into a softer and more billowy presentation by adding a small amount of crème fraîche. It will make your desserts camera-ready. Wink, wink!"—James Beard Award Winner Jeffrey Larsen

Ingredients

Basic Vanilla

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, pod split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped
3 to 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Orange

1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons undiluted orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Mocha

1 cup heavy cream combined with 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (let sit for 5 minutes and then stir and add to mixer)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 to 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Almond or Hazelnut

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons Amaretto (almond) or Frangelico (hazelnut) liqueur
3 to 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Ginger

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons very finely minced crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
3 to 4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip the cream on medium-high speed until the trails of the whip stay visible in the cream (4 to 5 minutes). Add the confectioners' sugar and flavorings and continue to whip until soft hills and valleys begin to form (1 minute). Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the crème fraîche gently with a big spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture becomes soft and billowy.

Note: be careful not to overheat or you will make a sweetened flavored butter. You can rescue overbeaten (curdled) whipped cream by removing the bowl from the mixer, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold heavy cream, and mixing with a big spoon or rubber spatula until the cream is well incorporated. It will return to soft and billowy.