British double cream is typically around 48% fat and can be whipped; single cream is around 18% and is used for pouring or enriching dishes. They are not interchangeable in every recipe.
The difference at a glance
In British cooking, double cream is typically around 48% milk fat: it is richer, thicker and suitable for whipping. Single cream is typically around 18% fat and suits pouring or enriching dishes, but will not whip into a cake filling. Both are dairy cream; the recipe’s job determines whether a swap will work. [1] [2] [3]
| Feature | Double cream | Single cream |
|---|---|---|
| Typical fat content | Around 48%; read the actual pot. [2] [3] | Around 18%; read the actual pot. [1] [3] |
| Consistency | Thicker and richer; ordinary double cream can still be poured. [2] [3] | Thinner, suitable for pouring. [1] [3] |
| Whipping | Can be whipped to provide structure. [2] | Does not whip in the same way. [1] [3] |
| Hot dishes | More tolerant of boiling and useful for rich sauces. [2] [3] | Can enrich a dish, but boiling can cause it to split. [1] [3] |
| Shared use: dessert topping | Can be poured over a dessert as well as whipped. [2] | Can be poured over a dessert. [1] |
| Substitution limit | May make a pouring dish richer than intended. [2] [3] | Cannot replace whipping-suitable cream where the recipe needs whipped structure. [1] [3] |
Pouring cream over fruit and making a filling that holds its shape are different jobs. In the first, a flowing texture may be exactly what you want. In the second, the ability to hold air after whipping is part of the recipe, rather than an optional finishing touch. [1] [2] [3]
Imagine you have a single-cream pot and two planned desserts: fruit with cream today, and a cake with a whipped filling tomorrow. The pot suits the first task. It does not become suitable for the second just because you whisk it for longer. Change to a recipe designed for that ingredient or obtain a whipping-suitable cream. [1] [3]
These are ingredient checks, not a universal method for every sauce. [1] [2] [3]
Using the representative 48% and 18% values, the gap is 30 percentage points. Dividing 48 by 18 gives about 2.67, so the word double is a name, not a promise of exactly twice the fat. The percentages describe composition by mass. [1] [2]
For a worked example, suppose you weigh 20 g of each cream. At 48% fat, 20 g×0.48 gives 9.6 g of fat. At 18%, 20 g×0.18 gives 3.6 g. The difference is 6 g. This is arithmetic using stated fat percentages, not a measured serving, calorie calculation or recommendation about how much to eat.
Replacing double cream with single reduces both richness and whipping capability. Single cream can be useful in savoury dishes, but it is less tolerant of boiling. A recipe that works with double cream should not be assumed to behave identically after that substitution. [1] [2] [3]
Going the other way can change the intended texture too: a thin pouring accompaniment may become noticeably richer. Check whether the recipe needs a liquid addition, a reduced sauce or a whipped topping before treating the two pots as substitutes. [2] [3]
No. Single cream is not suitable for whipping. The recipe needs a cream that can perform that structural job. [1] [2] [3]
No. 48÷18≈2.67. For the same 20 g mass, the example gives 9.6 g versus 3.6 g fat, not a two-to-one ratio. [1] [2]
Yes. Pouring is a shared use, although double cream gives a thicker, richer result. That does not mean both can also be whipped. [1] [2] [3]
No. Suitable for whipping describes what you can do with it. Ordinary double cream, whipped cream and extra-thick double cream are not simply three names for the same preparation. [2] [3]
Source pages checked on 23 October 2026. The examples and self-checks were written for this article with AI assistance and checked against the listed material.
The featured image is an AI-generated editorial illustration, not a photograph, measurement or record of a test.
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