Natural form

Double cream poured from a glass bottle, showing its thick, slow-flowing consistency.

Demonstrates the defining characteristic of double cream — its exceptional thickness and viscosity compared to thinner creams — at a glance.

Dairy & Eggs

Double Cream

Rich British cream around 48% fat that whips firmly and enriches sauces.

Double cream is a rich British cream with about 48% milk fat, higher than American heavy cream. Its high fat content lets it whip to stiff peaks, boil without curdling, and add lush richness to sauces, desserts, and soups. It is poured over puddings and folded into custards and ganaches.

Double cream is the richest standard cream available in Britain, standardized to a minimum of 48% fat. It sits at the top of the British cream hierarchy—above single cream (18%) and whipping cream (35%)—and approaches the density of clotted cream without the slow-cooking process. The name refers to its fat content being roughly double that of single cream, not to any preparation method. In British supermarkets it is almost always ultra-heat treated (UHT) for shelf stability, which does not impair its cooking or whipping performance. What distinguishes double cream is that it whips to a remarkably firm, stable foam without gelatin, stabilizers, or tricks—its high fat content does the work. It has no cultured tang; the flavour is purely sweet, rich dairy. There is no exact American equivalent, though heavy whipping cream comes closest and is the standard substitute. Double cream's thickness also makes it spoonable straight from the carton, ideal for applications where you want richness without whipping or cooking it first.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Fridge

Allergens

Dairy

Types & varieties

Clotted Cream

Traditional Devon and Cornish cream with 55%+ fat, made by slowly heating cream until it develops a nutty, cooked flavour and spreadable texture. A distinct product, not a variety of double cream, though often compared because of overlapping fat levels.

Double Cream in the British Cream Hierarchy

The British dairy grading system defines cream by fat content. Single cream holds around 18% fat—thin enough to drink but not to whip. Whipping cream sits at 35% and can be whipped to soft peaks. Double cream at 48% whips firmly and holds its shape, making it the workhorse of dessert and sauce kitchens. Clotted cream at 55%+ is a heated, cooled, and cultured product with a completely different character. Understanding this hierarchy lets you choose the right cream for the right job: single for light soup finishes, double for piping and enrichment, clotted for spreading on scones.

Single cream (18% fat): soups, light sauces, pouring
Whipping cream (35% fat): soft-peak whipping, lightly enriched dishes
Double cream (48% fat): firm piping, sauces, enrichments, direct serving
Clotted cream (55%+ fat): traditional spread for scones and warm pastries

Why Fat Content Controls Behaviour

The fat content of cream determines almost everything: how it whips, how it holds shape, how it reacts to heat, and how it tastes. At 48% fat, the fat globules are dense enough to trap air in a stable network when whisked, producing peaks that hold for hours. In sauces, that same fat coats starch granules and proteins, preventing them from clumping and staving off curdling longer than lower-fat creams—but it does not make double cream immune. The practical implication is that double cream is not a heat-stable cream; it will still curdle if boiled. What changes is the window: you have more time and more tolerance before things go wrong. At lower fat levels, the proteins dominate and the emulsion collapses more readily under heat or acid.

Higher fat = more stable whipped foam
Higher fat = longer tolerance before curdling in sauces, but not immunity
Higher fat = richer mouthfeel and deeper dairy flavour
Lower fat = better heat stability in some applications (crème fraîche outperforms double cream here)

Common uses

Whipping and piping for cakes, trifles, pavlovas, and elaborate dessertsFinishing rich cream-based sauces such as white wine reductions, pan gravies, and cream sauces without thinningEnriching chowders, bisques, and cream soups without diluting the baseSpooned directly over fresh berries, scones, warm puddings, or fruit crumblesBase for ice creams, fools, and unbaked mousses where richness is paramountGarnishing grilled steaks, pan-roasted fish, and sautéed mushroom dishesFolding into mashed potatoes for an exceptionally rich and creamy resultCreating thick, luxurious salad dressings when emulsified with vinegar and mustard

Tips & pitfalls

Whip cold (4°C) for maximum volume; cream warmer than 10°C will not aerate properly no matter how long you whisk
Stop whipping just before the firmness you need—cream continues to stiffen for a few seconds after you stop, and overwhipping ruins the texture irreversibly
For extra-stable whipped cream, fold in a tablespoon of mascarpone per 150ml of cream; this reinforces the fat network without changing the flavour noticeably
Do not boil after adding double cream—high heat causes curdling within seconds; add to finished or just-off-heat dishes only
If a sauce begins to look grainy or threatened with curdling, remove from heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold double cream or a teaspoon of cold butter to arrest the process
Use whipped double cream immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours; after that, sweating and weeping become significant
Season with salt and white pepper for savory applications; a small pinch of sugar balances acidity when serving with fresh fruit
When folding double cream into a lighter foam (such as a mousse base), fold gently in two additions to preserve as much air as possible

Nutrition

340kcal

Energy

1423 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 3%Carbs 3%Fat 93%

Protein

2.8g

6% DV

Carbs

2.8g

1% DV

Fat

36.1g

46% DV

Fiber

0% DV

Sugars

2.9g

of which

Sodium

27mg

1% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin A46% DV

Riboflavin (B2)14% DV

Vitamin D8% DV

Vitamin B127% DV

Vitamin E6% DV

Calcium5% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Cream, fluid, heavy whipping

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In the shops

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Good to know

Fat Content: 48% minimum (UK standard)
Origin: United Kingdom; no direct American equivalent—heavy cream (US) is the closest substitute at around 36–40% fat
Consistency: Very thick and spoonable even before whipping; holds peaks firmly when whipped
Shelf Life: Unopened: 7–10 days past sell-by date; opened: 2–3 days refrigerated
Storage: Refrigerate at 4–8°C; do not freeze; keep container upright
Whipping Stability: Holds peaks without gelatin or stabilizers; no help needed
Heat Sensitivity: High—boiling causes immediate curdling; add to finished or just-off-heat dishes only

Substitutes

Heavy Whipping Cream (US) — 36–40% fat American equivalent; whips to soft-to-medium firmness but holds peaks for less time than double cream. The best 1:1 swap for most applications, though results are less firm.
Crème Fraîche — 30–45% fat depending on brand; has a tangy cultured flavour but holds whipping reasonably well and is significantly more heat-stable than double cream. Use 1:1 in sauces for a more stable result, though the flavour changes.
Mascarpone — 40–45% fat; similar richness and fat content but spreadable rather than pourable. Fold in a little whole milk or single cream to loosen to piping consistency. Does not whip as stably as double cream.

Pairs with

Strawberries and RaspberriesDark ChocolateCoffee and EspressoLemon and Orange ZestFresh Herbs (Chives, Tarragon, Dill)Mushrooms (Chanterelles, Morels, Wild Varieties)Smoked Salmon

Also called

Heavy Cream