Cream Types Explained: Single, Double, Whipping, Soured, Clotted, and Crème Fraîche
UK cream products are defined by their fat content, and the fat content determines virtually everything about how a cream behaves in cooking: whether it can be whipped, whether it will curdle when heated or acidified, how rich it tastes, and what it contributes to a recipe's texture. The proliferation of cream types on UK supermarket shelves (single, double, whipping, extra-thick double, soured, half-fat soured, crème fraîche, half-fat crème fraîche, clotted) causes genuine confusion, but the underlying logic is simple once you know the fat percentages. The practical rule: use double cream when you need to whip, reduce, or apply heat; use single cream for pouring or gentle stirring in; use crème fraîche or soured cream for acidic dishes or dolloping; use clotted cream as a spread.
UK Cream Types by Fat Content
| Cream Type | Fat Content | Whippable? | Heating Stability | Primary Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single cream | 18% | No | Poor; will curdle above ~80°C or in acidic sauces | Pouring over desserts; stirring into soups at low temperature |
| Whipping cream | 35% | Yes (soft to firm peaks) | Moderate; can be used in sauces but more fragile than double | Whipping; lighter sauces; ice cream |
| Double cream | 48% | Yes (very easily) | Excellent; stable in sauces, reduces without splitting | Whipping; sauces; gratins; ice cream; ganache |
| Extra-thick double cream | 48% | Limited (already thick) | Excellent | Dolloping; spreading; trifle layers |
| Clotted cream | 55%+ | No (too thick) | N/A (not used in cooked recipes) | Spreading on scones; with jam; Devonshire cream tea |
| Soured cream | 18 to 20% | No | Poor; will split in hot dishes; add off heat | Dips; topping baked potatoes; stroganoff (added off heat); guacamole dollop |
| Crème fraîche | 30% | Partial (soft peaks only) | Good; more heat-stable than soured cream due to higher fat | Sauces; soups; dips; baking; toppings |
Single Cream
At 18% fat, single cream is the thinnest cream available in UK supermarkets and is used almost exclusively for pouring. It cannot be whipped (the fat content is too low to form a stable foam), and it will curdle if added to hot acidic sauces or boiled. For safe use in warm dishes: add at the end of cooking, off direct heat, and avoid stirring in with acidic ingredients. Supermarket own-brand single cream costs approximately 60 to 90 pence for 300ml.
Whipping Cream
At 35% fat, whipping cream is the minimum fat content for reliable whipping. It produces a lighter, slightly less rich whipped cream than double cream and takes slightly longer to reach peak. The advantage over double cream is the lighter result: whipped cream from whipping cream is more fluid and less rich, making it preferable for applications where the heavy richness of double cream would be overwhelming. Whipping cream is also the standard choice for ice cream bases (the lower fat produces a slightly icier, less dense result than double cream, which some prefer).
Double Cream
At 48% fat, double cream is the richest mainstream cream in the UK and the most versatile for cooking. It whips easily to stiff peaks, reduces in sauces without splitting, withstands higher temperatures than single or whipping cream, and produces the richest ganaches, gratins, and ice creams. The main limitation is that it is easy to over-whip (it progresses to butter faster than whipping cream due to the higher fat concentration). Double cream costs approximately £1.10 to £1.60 for 300ml.
Clotted Cream
Clotted cream (minimum 55% fat, often 60 to 65% in practice) is made by slowly heating full-fat milk until the cream rises to the surface and forms a crust. The traditional method uses unpasteurised milk in Devon and Cornwall (Rodda's is the most widely available brand; Moo-Free and Kelly's are also well-regarded). The resulting cream is thick, yellow-crusted, spreadable, and very rich with a faintly caramelised flavour from the slow heating process. It is a PDO-protected product when made in Cornwall (Cornish Clotted Cream PDO).
The Devon cream tea (clotted cream first, then jam) versus Cornish cream tea (jam first, then clotted cream) debate is a genuine point of regional pride and has no correct culinary answer; the cream and jam are present in both, merely layered differently.
Soured Cream and Crème Fraîche: The Fermented Creams
Both soured cream and crème fraîche are cream products fermented with lactic acid bacteria to produce a tangy, thickened cream. The key difference is fat content:
- Soured cream (18 to 20% fat): Will split or curdle at high temperatures or when added to acidic hot dishes. Best added off the heat. Classic uses: topping baked potatoes, beef stroganoff (added after removing from heat), as a base for dips, and in Mexican food (as a lighter substitute for Mexican crema).
- Crème fraîche (30% fat): The higher fat content makes it significantly more heat-stable than soured cream. It can be stirred into hot sauces, reduced briefly, and heated without curdling (though prolonged boiling will split it). Flavour is milder than soured cream, slightly less sharp. A versatile cooking ingredient that bridges the gap between cooking cream and a tangy garnish. UK supermarkets stock both full-fat (30%) and half-fat (15%) versions; the half-fat version is less heat-stable and should be used only for cold applications.
International Equivalents
UK cream terms do not always translate directly to other countries' products:
- UK "single cream" ≈ US "half-and-half" (approximately 10 to 18% fat, depending on the product)
- UK "double cream" ≈ US "heavy cream" (36%) or "heavy whipping cream" (36 to 40%), though UK double cream is richer
- UK "crème fraîche" ≈ French "crème fraîche épaisse" (thick) or crème fraîche liquide (pourable); widely available in France as a standard cooking ingredient
- US "sour cream" ≈ UK "soured cream"; effectively the same product
Related: How to Make Perfect Whipped Cream: The Complete Guide | How to Make Clotted Cream at Home