You’ve probably seen whipped cream used in a number of cake decorations. Whipping cream comes in a variety of brands at your local supermarket. However, a baker must perform numerous tasks behind the scenes in order to decorate a cake.

Whipping heavy cream is a skill that can be learned and honed with time and practice.  It is also supported by science. Cream is a 35-40% fat emulsion. The agitation and extra air bubbles cause the fat globules to partially agglomerate in chains and clusters and adsorb to and disseminate around the air bubbles when whipping a bowl of heavy cream. The next stable air bubble will be attached to it, and so forth. Soon after, the whipped cream becomes firm and dry, and the texture becomes smooth. This happens because the air bubbles are stabilized by the partially formed fat structure. You can learn more about the science behind dairy products here.