Difference Between Cream and Whipping Cream

Cream vs Whipping Cream

Differentiating cream and whipping cream is like telling the difference between water and distilled water. One is a more general term that encompasses its many subtypes while the other is just one of the many specific kinds of creams like, whip cream, light cream and heavy cream among many others.

These cream types are differentiated because of their dissimilar fat content and whether the creams underwent some crafty processes like being whipped or treated. However, the definitions of each type of cream may vary according to the regulations set per jurisdiction. Like when talking about the fat content of one type of cream in the U.S., you cannot immediately liken it to the fat content of the same kind of cream from another place, let’s say Australia.

But in the U.S., half and half cream is probably the ones with the least fat (at least 10.5%). This is even much less than the fat in light cream. With regard to whipping cream, this cream can be classified further into two subtypes. The light whipping cream has about 30 to 36% fat whereas the heavy whipping cream has more than 36% fat. When one talks about whipping cream per se, this is often understood as the light whipping cream. Even with this much fat, there are still some other cream types like the extra heavy cream that has significant amounts of 40% fat or greater.

Whipping cream is known to be the same as whipped cream but some nations like the U.K. regard the two as separate cream types even if they have the same amount of fat content. Having about 30 to 36% fat, whipping cream or whipped cream is a versatile food product. Also because of this same fat, whipping cream looks exactly as what it should be ‘“ whipped. This whipped consistency makes it appear thicker than most of the other cream types. Higher fat content is equal to a greater tendency to get whipped so 35% is more than enough to do the trick. Moreover, whipping creams don’t curdle that much when added to soups for enriching purposes.

In summary,

1. Cream is a general term that encompasses all the other types of cream while whipping cream is just one type of cream.

2. Cream, as a product, has varying fat content. Whipping cream specifically has about 30 to 36% fat in it.

3. Whipping cream is a thicker cream than most ordinary creams.

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