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Double cream is a lovely addition to many a dish, bringing a richness and creaminess to a dish that really does finish it off nicely. It’s a delicate ingredient, though. It is possible to over-whip double cream, but it’s not the end of the world if you do.
Why don’t we take a closer look and find out all you need to know?
Can You Over-Whip Double Cream?
Yes, you absolutely can over-whip double cream!
If you whip or beat double cream for too long, or too rigorously, you will end up with something not like double cream, or even thick cream, at all. What you’ll have is a big bowl full of what is essentially butter.
When you over-whip double cream, you end up with butter.
Whipping or beating cream is literally how butter is made.
If homemade butter is what you’re going for, then you’ll have succeeded. Congratulations!
If you’re trying to make something that requires something much softer than butter, however, you are going to be in for a tough time trying to use your over-whipped or over-beat double cream.
There is good news, though.
The double cream-to-butter journey isn’t a quick one. There are stages to it, so it’s more than likely you will notice the texture changing and know to stop whipping.
What Does Over-Whipped Cream Look Like?
Cream goes through different ‘stages’ when it is beaten or whipped.
First, the whipped cream will form stiff peaks, similar to that of a meringue. That is the point at which you should stop whipping.
With continued whipping, the texture will start to turn bitty or grainy, with individual ‘chunks’ clumping together. It almost looks as though the cream is starting to curdle.
And with even more whipping, the grainy, curdling texture will give way to a creamy, buttery one. At that point, you have essentially made homemade butter.
Can You Eat Over-Whipped Cream?
Yes, you can eat over-whipped cream.
Despite its curdled appearance, over-whipped or beaten cream isn’t ‘bad’ or unsafe to eat. The curdling or splitting isn’t caused by the cream turning bad. Instead, it is caused by the different components of the cream separating.
When you over-whip double cream, you cause the separation of lipids and emulsions within the dairy product. The fat molecules start sticking together, and this is what causes the lumpy appearance of double cream as it gets to the over-whipped point and beyond.
If you keep whipping, you’ll have completely edible butter.
If you add a little more not-whipped double cream and slowly mix it in, you can un-do the over-whipping.
What Can I Do With Over-Whipped Double Cream?
If you have already passed the point of no return and turned your double cream into something akin to butter, fear not! There are still tasty treats you can create with it, albeit not what you were originally intending to make.
You can drain away any buttermilk, and it is recommended to rinse the solid lump of butter under a cool tap to get rid of any remaining residue. Then, when you’re done, the solid lump you have left can be used in all of the same ways as butter — spread on toast, used in mashed potatoes, etc.
You can also un-do the over-whipping of double cream, in some cases. This isn’t always possible, however. There is, quite literally, a point of no return. Once the cream has started to turn into the consistency of butter, you will be unlikely to save it and turn it back into something that resembles double cream.
How to Fix Over-Whipped Double Cream
If your whipped double cream is still in the ‘cream’ stages and hasn’t yet started to turn into butter, you can fix it by slowly adding a few spoons of cold double cream and then gently mixing it in. The emphasis is on the word gently.
If you continue to rigorously beat or whip the double cream, it will over-whip and start the transformation into butter again.
Whipping Double Cream: Pro Tip
If you have a habit of over-whipping cream, or this is your first time whipping cream and you aren’t really sure of the process, buy a little more cream than you actually need.
If you over-whip your double cream, you can add a little more un-whipped cream to help reverse the process. You can’t add more cream if you don’t already have it to hand, however.
There are plenty of ways to store double cream, including freezing it, so you don’t need to let the ‘spare’ or extra double cream go to waste, if you don’t end up using it.