Dairy & Eggs
Heavy Cream 48% in gelato
Heavy cream at 48% butterfat is a high-fat dairy cream used as the primary fat source in gelato and ice cream. It delivers rich milk fat plus a small amount of milk solids-not-fat (protein, lactose, minerals) while contributing little added water.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 53% |
| Water | 47% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 48% |
| MSNF | 5% |
| Protein | 2.3% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 3 |
Typical use: Typically 5-20% of the mix, adjusted so total mix fat lands around 6-12%.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Heavy cream 48% is used to raise a mix's fat content toward the 6-12% typical of gelato and premium ice cream, improving body, creaminess and melt resistance. Because roughly half its weight is butterfat, it adds fat efficiently while introducing far less water than milk. Its contribution to PAC (anti-freezing power) and POD (sweetness) is minimal, coming only from the small lactose fraction (~2.2 g/100 g, POD ~0.4, PAC ~3), so it barely shifts serving hardness. Use it when you need fat and mouthfeel without adding sugar or diluting solids; balance the extra fat by trimming other fat sources and watch total MSNF to avoid a greasy or buttery churn.
Origin & background
Cream has been separated from milk for millennia, but consistent high-fat creams became possible only after Gustaf de Laval patented the continuous centrifugal cream separator in 1878, which mechanised the concentration of butterfat. Modern dairy standards classify creams by fat: heavy/whipping creams sit around 36%, while manufacturing and double creams reach 48% and above (UK 'double cream' is legally a minimum 48% fat).
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy FDC ID 170857 — Cream, fluid, heavy whipping (fat 36.08 g, protein 2.84 g, total sugar/lactose 2.74 g per 100 g); serum-scaled to 48% fat
- University of Guelph, Ice Cream Technology e-Book (H.D. Goff) — Milk Solids-not-fat chapter: MSNF of cream = (100 − %fat) × 0.09, with MSNF ≈ 54.5% lactose / 36% protein / 9.5% minerals — https://books.lib.uoguelph.ca/icecreamtechnologyebook/chapter/milk-solids-not-fat/
- dairyscience.info (H.D. Goff / D. Fox) — Designing ice cream and gelato mixes and mix calculations — https://dairyscience.info/ice-cream/154-ice-cream-mix.html
- icecreamcalc.com — Ingredient Tutorial (cream MSNF and serum-solids calculation, support source) — https://icecreamcalc.com/2021/07/06/ingredient-tutorial/