Sweetened whipped cream is incredibly easy to make with amazing flavour too! Creamy, light and so delicious, it makes the perfect topping for cakes, fruit, granola, crepes and so much more.

It only takes 5 minutes to turn your whipping cream into soft billowy mounds.  This sweetened whipped cream is made using just two ingredients with options to add flavouring to suit any dessert you are serving.  

Prepare to impress with an elegant touch to just about any dessert, using my easy to make sweetened whipped cream recipe.

sweetened whipped cream

Ingredients

Cold Whipping Cream: Use very cold cream straight out from the refrigerator. Cold cream whips up faster and has a lighter texture. 1 cup / 250ml cold whipping cream see note 1

Powdered sugar: The small amount of corn starch present in powdered sugar discourages weeping that usually occurs when whipped cream stands longer than a few hours. ¼ cup / 25g powdered sugar see note 2

Flavouring extracts (optional): Sweetened whipped cream is a neutral sweet cream that tastes great on its own but also perfect for adding flavours and extracts. Try orange, rose, caramel vanilla or any flavour you think will suit the dessert being served. Vanilla extract (optional) see note 3

Equipment

  • An electric or stand mixer.
  • If you do not have the above equipment, you can use a balloon whisk. Whipping the cream with a balloon whisk might take a few minutes longer compared to an electric or stand mixer.
  • A large bowl, preferably metal or glass, which retains colder temperatures better than plastic.
  • Sifter for the powdered sugar.

How to make Sweetened whipped cream

You will find the complete and printable recipe card at the end of this post. Here are just the step-by-step instructions with pictures to help guide you.

  1. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using.
  2. Pour the cream into the well chilled bowl and add the sifted powdered sugar. You can also add in any extracts or flavourings now if using.
the mixing process
  1. Beat the cream to the desired consistency.:
the mixing process 2
  1. For soft peaks, beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed. The cream will be thick enough to hold its shape in soft billowy peaks. This consistency is perfect for scooping over crepes, smoothies or filling and spreading over cakes.
  2. For stiff peaks: The beaters or whisk leaves distinct tracks/lines in the cream while beating.  You will also notice stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted off the cream. Stop beating the cream at this stage.
sweetened whipped cream close up

Tips to create the perfect Sweetened whipped cream.

Add Flavouring to your whipped cream: Sweetened whipped cream is like a delicious blank canvas for many flavours. Amazing on its own, but also great for adding flavours and extract.

Vanilla is the most common extract added to sweetened whipped cream, but you don’t need to stop there. Toss in half a teaspoon of rose, almond or caramel extract. Use any flavour, you think you think will best suit the dessert being served.

Stabilize your whipped cream: Whipped cream consists of air bubbles that start to deflate after about 2 hours. You will notice that your beautifully piped decoration starting to flatten and become watery.

To prevent deflating piped cream for up to 48 hours, add in any one of the following stabilizers.

This means that you can pipe the cream on desserts in advance and it won’t deflate.

Keep in mind that the decorated dessert should still be kept in a cool environment up until serving.

  • Powdered sugar: (Vegetarian option) An ingredient in this recipe, powdered sugar contains a built-in stabilizer called corn-starch. Corn-starch helps create defined piping and is a great stabilizer keeping your sweetened whipped cream firm from deflating.
  • Sour Cream: (Vegetarian option) Add a tablespoon of full fat sour cream to your sweetened cream before whipping.
  • Gelatin: (Animal based stabilizer) Add 1 teaspoon of unflavoured gelatine to 4 teaspoons of water. Microwave for a few seconds until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Allow to cool before adding to the cream. Slowly pour in the cooled gelatin mixture just before the cream reaches soft peak stage. Continue beating until it reaches stiff peaks. Stop beating the cream at this stage.
whipped cream mixing

Avoid using granulated sugar to sweeten your whipped cream: Granulated sugar contains large granules which are heavy and difficult to dissolve in the cream. This will either lead to overwhipping the cream or a grainy textured whipped cream.

Powdered sugar is an excellent sweetener for whipped cream. It dissolves faster and creates a smooth, creamy consistency.

Ensure that the bowl is cold before adding the cream: Place your mixing bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using.

If you do forget or do not have time to chill the bowl: simply set the bowl with the cream into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes to retain the cold temperature.

soft peaks

Best served with:

Sweetened Whipped Cream (PRINTABLE Recipe CARD)

Sweetened whipped cream is light, airy, and so easy to make. It only takes two ingredients and five minutes to create the perfect topping, frosting or filling for absolutely any dessert.
Versatile, with options to add flavour extracts to suit your favourite dessert too.
Learn how to make luscious Sweetened whipped cream with this simple recipe. With great tips so your whipped cream turns out perfectly, every time.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 938 kcal

Equipment

  • An electric or stand mixer (or balloon whisk).
  • A large bowl. Preferably metal or glass
  • sifter for the powdered sugar.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup / 250ml Cold whipping cream see note 1 below
  • ¼ cup / 25g Powdered sugar see note 2 below
  • Vanilla extract (optional) see note 3 below

Instructions
 

  • Chill the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using. See note 4.
  • Pour the cream into the well chilled bowl and add the sifted powdered sugar. You can also add in any extracts or flavouring snow if using.
  • Beat the cream to the desired consistency.
  • For soft peaks, beat for about 3 minutes on medium speed. The cream will be thick enough to hold its shape in soft billowy peaks. This consistency is perfect for scooping over crepes, smoothies or filling and spreading over cakes.
  • For stiff peaks: The beaters or whisk leaves distinct tracks/lines in the cream while beating.  You will also notice stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted off the cream. Stop beating the cream at this stage.
  • Use the cream shortly after whipping: Use the cream shortly after whipping. Avoid leaving the whipped cream at room temperature for long periods of time. Warm cream deflates quickly and can turn watery.
  • Store unused cream in the refrigerator: Store unused whipped cream in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The refrigerated whipped cream usually loses its soft airy texture after a few days. Whip it for about a minute to reuse for frosting or piping.

Notes

  1. Use very cold cream straight out from the refrigerator. Cold cream whips up faster and has a lighter texture.
  2. The small amount of corn starch present in powdered sugar discourages weeping that usually occurs when whipped cream stands longer than a few hours.
  3. Sweetened whipped cream is a neutral sweet cream that tastes great on its own but also perfect for adding flavours and extracts. Toss in half a teaspoon of rose, almond or caramel extract. Use any flavour, you think you think will best suit the dessert being served.
  4. Place your mixing bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before using. If you do forget or do not have time to chill the bowl: simply set the bowl with the cream into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes to retain the cold temperature.
 

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

1 cup/250ml: 938 calories, 88g total fat, 37g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 30g sugar, 326g cholesterol