I've always been baffled when forced to choose between heavy and whipped cream at the grocery store. Isn't all cream more or less the same thing?
Not exactly, I discovered when I finally searched for the answer. There are differences in milk fat content. All cream contains at least 18 percent milk fat: "whipping cream" is made up of 30 percent, while cartons labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy whipping cream" must contain 36 percent or more.
Whipping cream, heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream all work for recipes that incorporate whisked air, but don't reach for that half and half. At 10.5 to 18 percent milk fat, it simply won't cut it. The more fat content a cream contains, the more stable it's likely to be in a whipped state.
Check out our basic whipped topping recipe for guaranteed success.
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The most important thing to remember when whipping cream is to use very cold heavy cream. If you have time, place the mixing bowl and mixers in the freezer before whipping, this will ensure that the cream forms even stiff peaks. Don't overmix, the whipped cream will become grainy, or worse, turn into butter. 
