Dairy & Eggs
Heavy Cream 45% in gelato
Heavy cream standardized to 45% milkfat is a high-fat dairy cream used to raise fat and richness in gelato and ice cream. Beyond fat it carries about 4.7% milk solids-not-fat (protein, lactose, minerals) and roughly 50% water.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 50% |
| Water | 50% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 45% |
| MSNF | 4.7% |
| Protein | 1.9% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 2 |
Typical use: About 5-25% of the recipe, most often 8-18%, depending on the target mix fat and how much whole milk is used.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Heavy cream is the primary fat carrier in dairy gelato and ice cream: at 45% fat it adds richness, smoothness and slower melt while contributing only a little MSNF and lactose. Its contribution to PAC and POD is small (roughly 2 and 0 per 100 g), coming almost entirely from lactose, so it lowers the freezing point far less than sugars do. Use it to hit target fat (typically 6-10% mix fat) without over-adding MSNF; balance the remaining anti-freezing power with sugars. Higher-fat cream lets you reach a fat target with less added weight, leaving more room for milk and sugars.
Origin & background
Cream has been skimmed from standing milk since antiquity, but consistent high-fat creams became industrial only after Gustaf de Laval patented the continuous centrifugal cream separator in 1878, letting dairies standardize fat content precisely. Modern creams like a 45% product are separated and standardized this way rather than gravity-settled.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Cream%2C_heavy_12130100_nutritional_value.html (USDA FoodData Central-based: heavy cream ~36% fat, protein 2.02 g, sugars/lactose 2.9 g, ash 0.48 g per 100 g)
- https://milk.co.uk/nutritional-composition-of-dairy/cream/ (UK Dairy Council / McCance & Widdowson: whipping cream 40.3% fat protein 2.0 carb 2.7; double cream 53.7% fat protein 1.6 carb 1.7 per 100 g)
- https://under-belly.org/the-components-of-ice-cream/ (Under-belly, after Goff & Hartel 'Ice Cream' and Marshall/Arbuckle: heavy cream 36% fat, SNF 5.6%, lactose 4.6%, protein 1.69-2.54%, ash 0.37-0.56%)
- https://books.lib.uoguelph.ca/icecreamtechnologyebook/chapter/milk-solids-not-fat/ (University of Guelph Ice Cream Technology e-book: MSNF = serum solids = lactose + caseins + whey proteins + minerals)