Really THICK whipped cream?


 
D

Dan Wicker

TVWBB Fan
I've made whipped cream a few times using the basic recipe of heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. But what can I do to get the thick-as-mud stuff like at the Cheesecake Factory?

Thanks.
 
Dan, I'll be out your way in a week or two!

Actually, I have no idea what the Cheesecake Factory's whipped cream is like, but I do have a thought that you might like to try. Does this "taste" in your memory like it might be in their mix? Cream cheese?

I'd try softening some cream cheese to room temperature---very soft. Partially whip the heavy cream or whipping cream to soft peaks. Add (if desired) sugar (not powdered), vanilla, and the softened cream cheese. Whip until thickened to firm peaks.

Anyone out there have some other ideas?

Rita
 
I have no idea what the cheesecake factory does. One thing some people do when making cakes is mix whipped cream with gelatin to make it firmer.

I generally don't like a thick-as-mud whipped cream.
 
I have no idea what Cheesecake Factory does either--never been to one--but it is likely that David or Rita have the answer. Both approaches are common for thick whipped cream that needs to remain intact, as for frosting.

Here is a fairly standard bakery flow using gelatin:

2 t plain gelatin

8 t cold water

2 c heavy whipping cream (make sure it is very cold)

.5 c confectioners' sugar

1 t vanilla extract

Mix the gelatin with the cold water in small saucepan; let stand until thick. Place the pot over low heat, stirring constantly, just till the gelatin dissolves.

Remove from heat and cool slightly. Whip cream, sugar and vanilla till somewhat thickened. Beating slowly, gradually add the gelatin to the cream mixture. Whip at high speed until stiff.

For a cheese addition, also common, I'd suggest using mascarpone rather than cream cheese. It is similar but works better for this sort of thing. Have the mascarpone (or cream cheese if that is all you can get) at cool room temp. Whip your cold cream in a chiled bowl set into ice, adding dabs of the softened cheese alternately with the confectioners's sugar, till you hit the consistency you want.
 
Very good suggestions, thanks all. My wife has been on a key lime pie kick lately and I'd like to surprise her with a homemade pie. She loves really thick whipped cream, so these suggestions are great. The mascarpone is a great idea!
 
One thing I've noticed is that the local cream from the froofy gourmet grocery store makes a lot thicker, richer whipped cream than the cream from the supermarket. I don't know if it's fat content, freshness, or some other factor, but it whips a lot faster and a lot thicker and creamier.
 
I get my heavy cream from a local farm, and it whips up REALLY thick. Try getting a good "heavy cream." Don't bother with the "whipping cream," it's just a bunch of stabilizer stuff added that good whipped cream never needed anyhow.
 
I found some good mascarpone at Trader Joe's and tried it with some heavy whipping cream (35% milkfat), sugar, and vanilla. I used about a 1/4 cup of mascarpone for the half-pint of whipping cream. It turned out pretty darned good! Very, very thick, so thanks for the suggestions.

On the other hand, I think I may have gotten too much key lime pith in the pie. It's very bitter, not pleasant at all. I used about a half cup of key lime juice, but I used my juicer instead of the hand-squeeze gadgets made to strain out lemon/lime pith. I also used a readymade graham-cracker crust, and found it to be not quite as good as I remember.

Oh well, experimenting sure is fun!
 
Well--you got the whipped cream you wanted. Good.

Are you using finely grated zest in the pie as well as the juice? For that--and for the juice--try to score ripe Keys; they'll be yellow when ripe, not green.

You're right on the juicer though. You have to be gentle--or just hand-queeze, gently as well.
 
I did use about a teaspoon of very fine zest, being careful only to take the color off the limes. The entire bag was definitely a tint of green. I do have enough leftover to try my hand again at another pie. I suppose the best way to let them finish yellowing is to refrigerate for a few days?

Thanks again.
 
Citrus fruits are non-climacteric, i.e., like pineapples, strawberries, et al., they do not ripen further after picking. That said, some of these fruits seem to undergo what looks like a little more ripening if left at room temp for a while. What seems to me to be happening in reality is that, given some time at room temps, spoilage just starts to occur. If used soon thereafter, the fruit can give off the illusion of further ripening. A bit too long and all is lost quickly: pineapple starts to ferment, strawberries mold, citrus softens and develops off flavors.

Go a day or two on the counter and see. Or just retry the recipe and hand squeeze.

Here, just in case:

1.25 c graham cracker crumbs (about 11 crackers, processed finely)

3 T sugar

5 T unsalted butter , melted

Have an oven rack at the center position and preheat oven to 325. In a small but wide bowl, mix the graham crumbs and sugar. Stirring with a fork, drizzle in the melted butter, then mash the crumbs with the fork held flat, to evenly distribute the butter throughout. Press the crumbs evenly into a 9" pie pan along the bottom and up the sides.

Bake the crust on the center rack about 15 min, till lightly browned and fragrant. Remove, cool on a rack, 25 min, then use for your pie.
 
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