Many people enjoy whipped cream as part of their dessert, but they may not think too much about it other than that. However, there is a lot more to whipped cream than meets the eye as you will find out from the following fun facts.

1.. Whipped cream is just cream that has been beaten until it becomes light and fluffy. This beating can take place with a whisk, mixer or fork.

2. Sweeteners are often added to whipped cream to make it taste better. Flavoring such as vanilla can also be added.

3. Whipped cream is sometimes referred to as creme Chantill or Chantilly Cream.

4. The temperature of the cream must be below 50 degrees for it to be whipped. If it is higher than 50 degrees, then the whipping is likely to result in butter being created.

5. There is a National Whipped Cream Day which is celebrated on 5th January.

6. People have been eating whipped cream since the 16th Century. Italian recipes that date back to 1549 have included whipped cream, and it has been an ingredient in a French recipe from 1604.

7. Before the 19th Century, the cream was whipped using a willow or rush branch. It was only after this time that a whisk began to be used.

8. Melissa Arkin and Casey McLaughlin hold the world record for the tallest dollop of cream on top of a mug of hot chocolate. They managed to reach a height of 7 1/4 inches and this record was set in 2011.

9. Whipped topping is not always the same as whipped cream. Whipped topping is artificially made and therefore it contains sweeteners, hydrogenated oil, stabilizers and emulsifiers. It also does not taste as good.

10. You can use nitrous oxide cream chargers to quickly whip cream in cream whipper dispenser. The nitrous oxide dissolves in the cream fat under pressure and expands when the cream is released from the cream whipper and the pressure drops.