Pour double cream into large mixing bowl.

Hand mix: Slightly tilt the bowl and vigorously whisk until the desired peak stiffness is reached. Soft peaks - 4 mins, medium peaks - 5 mins, stiff peaks - 5 ½ mins.

Stand or hand mixer: On medium setting with the whisk or beating attachment. Whipping times may vary but generally 3-5 mins. 3 mins - soft peaks. Stop at this point or continue in 5 second intervals until medium or stiff peaks are formed. Careful, the consistency will change very quickly.

When do you know it is done?

Soft plop: Looks like slightly melted ice cream. Lift the whisk out of the bowl and cream barely clings to it. Just starting to see trails of cream when whipping that doesn’t dissolve right away. Not ready.

Soft peaks: Looks like stirred yogurt and it doesn’t hold a prominent shape. Cream clings to the whisk, but the peak falls over. In the bowl, the trails of cream stay floating on top. Use for a delicate, super silky, and scoopable topping to eat right away.

Medium peaks: Looks like cool whip or soft-serve ice cream. Lift the whisk and the cream firmly clings on, turn over and the peak will hold but have a tip that slightly falls over. In the bowl, the trails will be noticeably stiffer and the cream fluffier. Used for most applications like cake layers, frosting, pie toppings, fillings in cream puffs or profiteroles.

Stiff peaks: Looks like shaving foam. Lift the whisk and the cream is completely stiff, turn over and it holds its peak. The cream will have a definitive ripple when whipped. It will start to become more slightly grainy in appearance and feel like if you mixed it once more it would clump. Used as a stronger filling for cakes, layered desserts like trifles, topping for pies, folding into other ingredients like no-bake cheesecakes.

Over whipped cream: Looks like shaving foam, but with noticeable lumps. The smoothness is lost and the more you mix the more bumpy it gets.