• Add the cold heavy whipping cream to a medium bowl (a chilled metal bowl is ideal) along with the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt (salt is optional).

  Prepare a hand mixer with the whisk attachment.

  Note: Alternatively, use a stand mixer (whipping will take less time) or a whisk and bowl (whipping will take more time, and a lot of muscle!)
• Turn the mixer on low and begin to whisk until the mixture starts to thicken and foam. Once the mixture is foamy, turn up the mixer speed on the mixer to medium. Watch the cream closely as it will begin to thicken and "tracks" from the mixer start to form.

  The amount of time this takes can vary depending on the quantity of cream and your mixer/mixer speed, but I find about 3 minutes is average.
• Once the cream is thick, stop your mixer periodically to check for peaks.

  Once you've achieved "soft peaks" (see notes below) either stop whipping or continue to whip and check the cream VERY frequently (every 10-15 seconds) until you've reached medium or stiff peaks.

How to tell if the whipped cream is ready:

• Turn off the mixer, pull the whisk away and check the consistency of the "peak" that forms on the whisk.

  Soft peaks – Soft and billowy whipped cream. These peaks will flop right over. Excellent for scooping on top of desserts, but not ideal for piping.

  Medium peaks – Medium peaks hold their shape, but flop over a bit right at the top. Medium or stiff peaks are best for piping. I usually aim for medium peaks when I prepare whipped cream.

  Stiff peaks – A stiff peak of whipped cream holds its shape and does not flop at all. This is an ideal texture for piping. Be careful when aiming for stiff peaks because it's easy to overwhip at this point.

  Overbeaten – At this point, the whipped cream has become stiff and clumpy. Check my tips within the blog post for fixing overbeaten whipped cream.
• Use the fresh whipped cream immediately or see notes on how to store it for best texture.