There are times you often misunderstand or are confused about which cream to use when cooking or baking. Here’s how you can understand the difference. 

Most people who are good at cooking catch up with the number of ingredients that must be put in a dish. The experience can make you intuitive. However, for starters, it is vital to follow each step and the number of ingredients you need to put in a dish.

Cooking is considered a scientific experiment. More or less of a certain ingredient can fully ruin the dish. It requires precision. 

Using the correct type of cream in your dish is quite important. There are different kinds of cream available in the supermarket for different purposes and dishes. 

The variety of creams available can often confuse you. So for clarification and better knowledge regarding creams, go through this guide for future experiences. 

Types of Cream and How to Use Them

As discussed previously, now we know how there are different types of cream for different kinds of dishes. For instance, we use heavy cream for food that requires salt, and we use whipping cream for sweet food and desserts. 

The cream is an essential ingredient to make your food taste a certain way, even better. The cream is used for the thickening of food or making it rich. Most of us love the creamy texture of food. 

As there is a different range of cream available in the market, it might confuse us. The following creams are used in both sweet and savory food. Other than just putting cream in food, there are other ways to serve them, as sides, toppings, garnish, etc. 

With so many options available in the market, customers and food enthusiasts might have a lot of questions like - “Is heavy cream the same as whipping cream?”. It certainly is not. 

1. Half and Half Cream

You must be wondering what the name “half and half” means. Well, it is as simple as it sounds; it means half cream and half milk. It consists of these two ingredients in equal ratios. 

The fat content of this cream is around 12%, but it may even vary from 10% - 18%. Half and half cream are basically used for coffee and coffee-related drinks. It is also known as “coffee cream”. 

You can't whip this cream because it’s 50% liquid milk. However, it can be used as an alternative option for heavy cream for cooking various dishes as it has low-fat content. 

2. Sour Cream 

Sour cream is called by this name simply because of its sour and tangy taste. It has a fat content of around 20% and has a thicker texture than other creams. 

Keep in mind, you cannot whip sour cream! This can be used in dips, toppings, and dressings. It can also be used for cheesecakes, casseroles, soup, and sauces. 

While adding the cream to the sauce, keep in mind that you need to put it on cold soup, or put the cream first and then gradually turn up the heat of the stove, and add warm liquid in small amounts. This is because sour cream curdles in heat. For more information make sure to check Coooking Be Fun.

3. Crème Fraîche

As you can already assume, the name is French, and it means “fresh cream”. It tastes similar to sour cream but less sour and tangy compared to the American sour cream. 

However, it has got higher fat content than the American sour cream. The fat content is around 30%. The advantage of using Crème Fraîche is that it has a more vivid and stronger taste to it. 

The texture of Crème Fraîche is somewhere between yogurt and sour cream. It is usually used in soups and sauces, but you can also use it with fruits and desserts. 

4. Light Cream

This cream is quite contradictory to its name as it is similar to half and half cream but only thicker and heavier in fat content. The normal percentage of fat content is around 20%, but it may vary from 18% - 30%.

It is also normally known as coffee cream or table cream. 

It is used in enriching and thickening soups, for light sauces, and to garnish desserts and fruit salads. 

5. Whipping Cream

Whipping cream is one of the heaviest kinds of creams. It is heavy and has a thick consistency. The fat content is about 35%, but it may vary from 30% - 36%. 

As whipping cream is less dense when you whisk or whip it, it becomes fluffier and thick in texture. To explain it simply, with a higher percentage of fat in it, it is easier for it to whip it and make it thicker. 

However, it doesn’t stay that voluminous for too long, so you have to use it as soon as you are done whisking it. 

It’s used mostly for desserts- to fill cakes, pastries, mousses, etc. It works great as toppings for cakes, ice cream, and fruit salads. However, it is also used for coffee and hot beverages. 

6. Heavy Cream

This kind of cream can be used as it is or can be whisked and used as whipping cream. It has the highest amount of fat in it, about 38%. In America, the fat content in heavy cream can vary from 36% - 40%. 

However, in other countries, fat content leads up to 48%. 

Unlike the regular whipping cream, when whisked, it can keep its shape for longer as it is denser. Heavy cream is usually used for sauces, but it can also work as dips and in desserts. 

Use Cream for the Enrichment of your Dish

Now that we know the types of cream that are available in the market and which one is suitable for which kind of dish, we can expect you to make great dishes in the future. 

The usage of cream automatically enriches your dish and makes it extra delicious. Food lovers like their food a little creamy-textured and rich in taste.  

You can now make scrumptious dishes and desserts by yourself, and share with your loved ones, and spread the knowledge of creams and which goes with what dish perfectly, within your food enthusiast community.