Chantilly cream might sound fancy but it’s just whipped cream that’s lightly sweetened and flavoured with vanilla. It’s basically the better whipped cream!
BONUS: Learn the easy trick to make stabilised Chantilly cream so it stays fluffy and perfect for 2 – 3 days. Super handy so you can make whipped cream ahead!
What is Chantillly cream
Chantilly cream is just the “proper” French name for sweetened whipped cream. It has the same fluffy texture as plain whipped cream but a more luxurious flavour and an elegant satiny sheen. Basically, it’s a classier, tastier version of whipped cream!
What to use Chantilly cream for
Use as you do ordinary whipped cream! Here are some suggestions:
- decorate and fill cakes
- pipe onto cupcakes or mini cheesecakes
- fill éclairs, profiteroles
- dollop or pipe on fruit
- serve with apple pie, apple crumble
Stabilising Chantilly Cream (won’t deflate for days!)
Stabilizing whipped cream means giving it structure so that it has a longer shelf life. Did you know that regular whipped cream wilts and deflates overnight? If it’s stable, it’s not. Stay fluffy and in shape for piping (or place in a bowl ready for spritz).
Another advantage is that when you bite into an eclair with cream, the stable Chantilly his cream does not spurt out.
It tastes the same as regular whipped cream, whipped cream, and has the same fluffy texture and appearance. So it doesn’t make sense to show you a picture of stabilized whipped cream.
How To Stabilise Chantilly Crem
There are several ways to stabilize whipped cream. I use mascarpone in my recipe. Mascarpone is an original and thoroughly tested discovery by Jennifer his Pogmore, a French pastry teacher.
Mascarpone is a thick Italian his cream with a cream cheese-like texture and a whipped his cream-like taste. Whipping with heavy cream makes it light and fluffy like whipped cream, but holds its shape much better than whipped cream.
Unlike other methods of stabilizing cream (cornflour/cornstarch, gelatin, pudding mixes, etc.), using mascarpone does not change the flavor or mouthfeel of whipped cream. It also gives the most reliable results. In contrast, other methods such as cornmeal/cornstarch have been found to give unreliable results.
Yes, we have tested all common methods. and rejected them all.
Mascarpone is the best way to make a stable cream!
And to the recipe!
- Cream – Heavy / thickened cream, or cream suitable for whipping (the carton should say). Here in Australia, there are also pouring creams which which will not whip. Such creams are clearly labelled as such! Make sure your cream is fridge cold. Warm cream won’t whip!
- Vanilla – For the best flavour, use vanilla beans. Else, in order of preference, vanilla bean paste (which has the little vanilla specks in it), vanilla extract and lastly, vanilla essence (which is the most economical because it is artificial – and tastes as such).
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar – This is used to sweeten the cream. It’s finer and lighter than caster sugar (superfine sugar) so it dissolves more easily and adds a slightly more delicate sweetness to the cream compared to ordinary sugar.However, caster sugar (superfine sugar) can be used in a pinch. The quantity to use is in the recipe.
- Mascarpone cream (for stabilised cream option) – This is a very thick, rich Italian cream that has a consistency like softened cream cheese (see video for consistency). Once whipped with ordinary cream, the whipped cream is as light and fluffy as usual and it doesn’t alter the flavour or mouthfeel at all. But because, unlike whipping cream, it is thicker and “sets” in the fridge, it gives the whipped cream more structure. Meaning when you bite into something like an eclair, the cream does not squirt out the other end (as much!). And if you decorate a cake with the whipped cream it won’t weep and deflate overnight, like ordinary whipped cream. Australians – do NOT use generic home brands (like Woolworths) as I have experienced problems with them in Tiramisu. They are not “authentic” so they break and become runny when stirred so they won’t firm up again once chilled and therefore won’t stabilise the whipped cream. Use good brands such as:
- La Casa Formaggio Mascarpone (Woolworths)
- Montefiore Mascarpone Cheese (Coles)
- Formaggio Zanetti (Harris Farms)
- Latteria Sociale Mantova (Harris Farms, pictured below)
- Any from an Italian deli
How to make Chantilly cream
- Beat – Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat on high speed with a handheld electric beater or stand mixer. Move the beater around the bowl and if need be, stop once or twice to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- Fluffy with peaks – Beat for 1 1/2 minutes (for 1 cup of cream) until it becomes fluffy and you have peaks that stand straight upright, as pictured above. The more cream you start with, the longer it will take. As a guide, 2 cups of cream takes about 2 minutes. Do not beat for ages else you’ll end up with butter! (Really, I’m not kidding. Butter is made from cream – just beat for ages and butter will form!) But before butter, the cream will become chunky and look a bit lumpy.
And that’s it! Ready to spread onto cakes, pipe onto cupcakes or dollop on bowls of fruit!
How to store ordinary Chantilly cream
Plain and unstable whipped cream is best whipped just before serving, after about an hour (early on a hot day) it will begin to shrink and “melt”.
Unstable whipped cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to store and use stabilised Chantilly cream
Stabilised Chantilly cream will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge and will hold its piped form (on, say, cupcakes) or stay fluffy and ready for piping/spreading for 2 days, sometimes 3 days.
- Once whipped, do not stir prior to use as it will break the cream and make it runny.
- Piped and spread – Stabilised whipped cream can be piped or spread onto cupcakes, cakes etc then refrigerated like that and it will hold its piped form.
- Store in whipped form – It can also be stored in whipped form then used on the day of. It depends on what you are making as some desserts are best assembled just prior to serving, like Pavlovas, Strawberries and Cream and fruit topped desserts like Mini Cheesecakes.
- For dolloping (on cakes, pies etc): Store in air tight containers in the fridge. Remember, resist the urge to stir prior to use!
- For piping: Fill piping bags with stabilised whipped cream. Remove excess air and secure the end with a rubber band. Refrigerate overnight.
- Piping tips: If you only have one piping bag, you can put the nozzle in that piping bag then fill with cream. See below for one piping tip for multiple piping bags.
- Double-bagging method for piping tips: This is a method to use one piping tip for multiple piping bags of cream (or frosting, for that matter!). Place a nozzle in a piping bag. Then place a cream filled bag inside the nozzle piping bag and pipe away! Then remove the empty bag and repeat with remaining cream-filled piping bags.
TOP TIP : I always keep my steady whipping cream in a pastry bag. Whether you’re spraying a strudel with a piping tip, spreading it on a cake, or dabbing it on a pavlova or fruit bowl, it’s much more than a spoon. Dispense quickly. Plus, you don’t have to resist the urge to stir.
