Clotted, Double, Single: Cream Is Defined by Fat
Cream is the fatty part of milk. British and American cream names refer to fat content, and they do not match up.
Cream is the fatty part of milk, which rises to the top when milk is left to stand. The names are legal categories based on fat content, and they differ across the Atlantic: British double cream is about 48 per cent fat, single cream about 18, and clotted cream 55 or more — while American heavy cream sits near 36, so a British recipe calling for double cream cannot be made with it directly. *The cream of the crop* uses the old image of the best rising to the top.
- The fat of milk. *Cream on top.*
- The best part. *The cream of the crop.*
- Double cream — the rich British kind. *Whip the double cream.*
- Clotted cream — thick and scalded. *Scones with clotted cream.*
- Creamy — rich and smooth. *A creamy sauce.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cream | Fresh cream. |
| Verb | cream | Cream the butter. |
| Adjective | creamy | Creamy soup. |
| Compound | creamery | A local creamery. |
| Latin | chrisma | An ointment. |
- Pour cream over the pudding.Food.
- Cream the butter and sugar together.Baking verb.
- They took the cream of the applicants.Figurative.
Cream by fat content
- Clotted cream (UK) — 55 per cent or more
- Double cream (UK) — about 48 per cent
- Whipping cream (UK) — about 35 per cent
- Heavy cream (US) — about 36 per cent
- Single cream (UK) — about 18 per cent, will not whip
Old French *cresme*, a blend of Late Latin *chrisma*, an ointment, and *cramum*, cream, itself probably of Gaulish origin.
Can I use heavy cream instead of double cream?
Usually yes, but heavy cream has less fat, so it whips less stiffly and is more likely to split when boiled.
What is clotted cream?
Cream heated gently until a thick crust forms, then cooled. It is a speciality of Devon and Cornwall and is over 55 per cent fat.