This whipped cream recipe originally accompanied a Sachertorte from Rick Rodgers’ book Kaffeehaus—a study of the legendary desserts and café culture of Vienna, Prague, and Budapest. In Vienna, fresh whipped cream—schlagobers (translation: “very well whipped”)—is an essential ingredient in daily life; a dollop tops coffee or tea, a spoonful gets dabbed on an afternoon snacking cake, and an unsweetened version garnishes soups. While store-bought Cool Whip has its charms, if you’re going to the effort of making pumpkin pie or rich hot chocolate, you’ll want to try this homemade whipped cream recipe.

Rodgers has a few tricks for achieving a stellar whipped topping for any and all desserts—whether it’s strawberry shortcake season or just the right day for an epic ice cream sundae. First, use high-quality heavy whipping cream—he recommends pasteurized over ultra-pasteurized—with a high milk fat content (36 to 40%) for the thickest, fluffiest results. Temperature is key: It’s best to whip well-chilled cream straight from the refrigerator in a chilled mixing bowl. A hand mixer will give you more control than a stand mixer will. For sweetened whipped cream, use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar—the smidge of added starch in powdered sugar helps the cream stand longer. A hint of vanilla extract is also imperative. It’s important to distinguish between the stages of whipped cream: Whisking until stiff peaks form isn’t always required—whipping the cream just until soft peaks form will give you a nice dessert topping. And take care not to overbeat, or you’ll get butter.