Ditch store-bought whipped topping and make homemade whipped cream! Rich, fluffy, and airy, whipped cream is perfect in hot chocolate, to serve with fruit, or to pipe onto pies and cakes.
Place a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer along with the beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer until well chilled, at least 20 minutes.
Add the cream, sugar (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), and vanilla to the chilled bowl. Beat on medium speed until frothy and starting to thickened, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. (Do not walk away! The cream whips quickly and if over-whipped, will become curdled and lose its silky texture.)
Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag or spoon into a bowl for serving.
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Notes
Use cold equipment. The bowl and whisk attachment need to be chilled in the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes to help the cream stay as cold as possible.
Use cold cream. The heavy cream needs to come straight out of the fridge and into the mixing bowl. The fats in the cream need to stay cold for the cream to trap air and whip up into fluffy clouds.
Control the sweetness of the chantilly cream. Feel free to use more or less powdered sugar depending on how sweet you want it to be.
Be aware of the quantity. One cup of heavy whipping cream yields 2 cups of whipped, so keep that in mind!
Keep a close eye on the mixer. The mixture can go from soft peaks to medium peaks to stiff peaks to over-whipped in mere seconds. Cream that is over-whipped becomes grainy and lumpy. If you're worried about this happening, start mixing on low speed, then gradually increase the speed as the cream thickens.
You can beat cream by hand! It will just take some arm-muscle power! I recommend using a large balloon whisk to help incorporate the most air in the fastest time.