Why is whipped cream white?

Answer 1

If you start with white (plain, uncoloured) cream the result on whipping will still be white. The word 'cream' in a dairy sense refers to the part of milk containing the butterfat, not to the colour of it: it is still white.

When you see cream that has risen to the top of milk you can see in comparison a slight difference in colour and the word 'cream' describing an off-white colour comes from the days when risen cream in whole milk was frequently observed: today milk is generally homogenised and, in any case, usually sold in opaque containers, so it's rare to see milk with cream on top except on a dairy farm.

If you over-beat the cream it will begin looking yellowish and progressively less smooth. Keep beating and it will start to turn into butter, gradually becoming more yellow in the process.

If you've overbeaten the cream, no need to throw it away: just keep going until you have butter. There will be a separate liquid (buttermilk) which you need to pour off; you can use it in baking or other sorts of cooking. Turn the butter onto a cold board covered with plastic wrap and pat into a cube-shape; wrap, refrigerate and use as you'd use any butter, but feeling proud that you made it yourself!

Always look for cream labelled as containing only cream, with no thickeners, sweeteners, gelatine, and so on. Your finished dish, or just plain whipped cream, will be far better and you can add what you choose to it - and you're not paying for ingredients you don't need and might not want.

Cream with extras added might look cheaper but isn't, because you're buying less cream for your dollar.