What's The Best Way To Sweeten Whipped Cream?

Whipped cream is one of the most versatile toppings out there. It can be used to top your favorite scoops of ice cream, add to a rich hot chocolate, or pair with any number of desserts and other sweet treats like strawberry shortcake, pies, and tiramisu.

If you've ever made whipped cream from scratch, however, you know that while it's certainly rich and fluffy, it isn't naturally sweet. If you want to really add a sugary twist to your whipped cream, you have to know how to sweeten it. When it comes to sweetening whipped cream, however, there are a lot of possibilities — you can add different kinds of sugar or sugar substitutes such as stevia and honey, or whip in a myriad of other sweet flavorings. 

However, in general, sweetening with whipped cream with confectioners or superfine sugar is the way to go. Here's a deep dive into how to make the perfect whipped cream and why you should sweeten it with one of these two types of sugar. Plus, a wrap-up of other pro tips for creating the perfect bowl of sweet whipped cream.

When it comes to sweetening your whipped cream, you'll find that most people simply pop a spoonful or two of granulated sugar into the bowl. However, confectioner's sugar and superfine sugar can actually be a better choice.

For confectioner's sugar's part, it has smaller crystals, which means the sugar doesn't weigh as much. The result is that it's easier for the sugar to become light and whip up. Another reason to skip granulated sugar and go for confectioner's sugar instead has to do with the way this alternative is made. Confectioner's sugar is actually a blend of finely ground sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch in this blend can help prevent your cream from forming lumps, leading to lighter and airier whipped cream. Plus, if you store it in the fridge for a few days, you can do so without it collapsing and becoming runny the way it does when you use granulated sugar.

On the other hand, superfine sugar can also be a good pick. Like confectioner's sugar, superfine sugar is ground more finely, meaning that it has smaller crystals. However, the benefit here is that it dissolves in your cream faster. This helps you avoid the graininess associated with adding granulated sugar to your cream.

If you want to make next-level whipped cream, the first thing to do is choose the right cream for whipping. Use heavy cream that has at least 40% fat. If the fat content of your cream is lower than 30%, it won't be able to form air bubbles as it whips, meaning that it'll stay runny no matter how long you whisk it.

You'll also want to chill the bowl you'll be using. Chilling the bowl will help your cream whip up faster, making your job easier overall. It's also not a bad idea to chill the whisk you'll be using, as they'll also have direct contact with your whipped cream.

Another pro tip for ensuring you get delicious cream is to start beating slowly and speed up as the cream starts to thicken. By starting to mix slowly, you can avoid splashing your kitchen with cream, leading to a big mess to clean up later. Then, as your cream stiffens, start adding in the sugar and any flavors that you want. Turn the beater off once it starts to form soft peaks so as to avoid turning your cream into butter.

With these tips, you now know how to get not only perfectly sweet whipped cream, but how to make the ideal dessert topping, period!