For beginner bakers! A comprehensive guide on animal cream vs. plant cream, including differences and whipping techniques.

Many novice bakers fail in their baking attempts, and 80% of the problems are related to the cream! Either the cream is over-whipped and separates, or the whipping is insufficient and the piping collapses. And many people can't distinguish between animal cream and plant cream. Buying the wrong ingredients can ruin the entire dessert. Today's article will thoroughly explain the core knowledge of cream in baking, and after reading it, beginners won't make any mistakes! 
Firstly, the most concerned difference between animal cream and plant cream. Animal cream, also known as light cream, is extracted from natural milk, with a fat content of about 35%, which is the most suitable for baking piping and coating. Its advantages are a refreshing and non-greasy texture, pure milk aroma, and easy melting in the mouth. It does not contain trans fatty acids and has a high health coefficient; its disadvantages are poor stability and intolerance to high temperatures, high price, and short shelf life when refrigerated.
While plant cream is artificially synthesized hydrogenated vegetable oil. It is cheap, resistant to high temperatures, and has extremely strong stability. It is suitable for piping and creating three-dimensional shapes, and is suitable for commercial large-scale production. However, its disadvantages are very obvious. The taste is overly sweet, and it is thick and heavy when eaten, containing trans fatty acids. Long-term consumption is not conducive to health, and the milk aroma is artificially mixed, with no natural milk aroma at all. For home baking, animal light cream is the best choice, as it is delicious and healthy.
Next, I will share the essential zero-failure whipping techniques for light cream for beginners. First, temperature is crucial! The cream must be kept refrigerated throughout the process. The mixing bowl and the egg beater head should be refrigerated for 10 minutes before whipping. The environmental temperature should be controlled below 25℃. If the temperature is too high, it is very likely to separate oil and water. Second, the sugar ratio. For regular coating cream, 100g of cream is mixed with 8-10g of fine sugar. It is slightly sweet and not greasy. For piping, you can add up to 12g. 
Third, controlling the whipping state. Start low-speed whipping until the sugar melts, then switch to medium speed, and when a fine texture appears, switch to low speed to smooth out the bubbles. Soft foam (slightly flowing) is suitable for mousse and fillings; neutral foam (clear lines, not flowing when inverted) is suitable for cake coating; hard foam (standing small points) is suitable for piping decoration. Remember not to over-whip. Once particles or oil-water separation occur, it is irreparable and cannot be remedied.
Finally, I will add a small tip: If the whipped cream is not used immediately, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Within 1 hour of use, it remains stable. A slight loss of foam can be restored to a fine state by low-speed stirring.