English / Label guide
Buying cream in Germany for a British recipe
A British recipe's double cream is not automatically the same product as German Schlagsahne or a tub with “double” in its name. Start with the recipe's use, then compare the actual fat content and product type. Two current German examples are Weihenstephan Schlagsahne at 32% fat and Hansano Konditorsahne at 35%; neither matches the roughly 48% double cream described in Nigella's recipe guidance.
English; shoppers in Germany following British recipes, two named German cream products and bounded Nigella author guidance.
Published .
Compare the numbers, then the names
Nigella's answer about European alternatives prefers whipping cream at 34% fat or more. Match any alternative to the recipe's instructions.
On small screens, scroll the table sideways.
| Product or reference | Fat information checked | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| British double cream in Nigella's explanation | Around 48% | The reference ingredient being discussed |
| Weihenstephan Schlagsahne | 32%; 250 g and 500 g packs | Read this exact whipping cream's percentage |
| Hansano Konditorsahne 35%, 330 g | At least 35%; nutrition lists 35 g fat per 100 g | Pastry-oriented marketing still needs a label check |
| A different product labelled Crème double | Read that exact label | Similar wording alone does not establish 48% fat or the same behaviour |
Schlagsahne means whipping cream; Konditorsahne is cream marketed for pastry work. These two examples show why translating the shelf name is only the first step. Record the percentage on the pack you can actually buy, rather than assigning one percentage to every German cream.
What does the recipe need the cream to do?
It is poured into a hot dish
Nigella allows the alternative in hot dishes where cream is added as a liquid. Check your own recipe for more specific requirements.
It is whipped before other ingredients are folded in
Look for a product explicitly intended for whipping and read the recipe's fat requirement. A percentage comparison helps you choose a candidate; it does not guarantee the stiffness, holding time or finished texture of a cake filling. For an important occasion, use a recipe written for the cream available to you or a substitution the author has specifically addressed.
Other ingredients go in before whipping, or the dessert has to set
For the no-churn ice creams and syllabubs discussed in her answer, Nigella suggests whipping the alternative cream to soft peaks first, then whisking in the other ingredients. We have not tested that method. Other desserts need their own instructions.
A recipe that needs a firm slice, a stable piped finish or a particular freezing texture deserves its own substitution instructions. If the author gives none, choosing a recipe designed for your available cream avoids inventing a conversion while you cook.
“Fett i. Tr.” is a different measurement
If you start considering mascarpone or another cheese product, take care with its front-of-pack percentage. Fett i. Tr. means fat in the dry matter: the percentage after excluding water. Milchland's labelling explanation distinguishes that from the fat content of the whole cheese and directs readers to the nutrition table.
For comparison, copy the line giving grams of fat per 100 g of the actual product. Do not compare a cheese's dry-matter percentage directly with a cream's fat percentage. Even a mathematically similar fat content would not establish the same ingredient type, liquid consistency or recipe performance. This guide gives no cream-and-mascarpone mixing ratio.
A stabiliser does not turn 32% into 48%
The ingredient list supplies another piece of information. Weihenstephan explains that it uses carrageenan in cream to limit the separation of the cream layer and keep the product homogeneous. That description does not change its declared fat percentage or establish equivalence to British double cream.
If you see a separate whipping stabiliser on the shelf, treat it as an additional ingredient with its own instructions, not evidence that an arbitrary cream now matches the recipe. We have not tested stabiliser-assisted substitutions or shelf life after preparation.
A shopping note worth taking with you
- Recipe and exact ingredient requested: ______
- Action: pour, whip, fold, freeze or set: ______
- Author's permitted alternative and method: ______
- Available product, fat percentage and product type: ______
- Ingredients and quantity basis, including grams or millilitres: ______
- Decision: follow the authorised alternative, change the recipe, or ask the author: ______
A 330 g pack and a recipe quantity in millilitres use different measurement bases. Do not silently assume their numbers are interchangeable. For recipes with other regional ingredient names, see Indian cornflour, cornstarch and makki atta; for spoon measurements, see 15 mL and 20 mL tablespoons.
Sources and scope
Manufacturer pages, Milchland's label explanation and Nigella's answer were reopened on 10 October 2026. The Nigella answer was originally published on 4 November 2013; the access date is not a new recipe test. Named products illustrate current labels, not guaranteed local stock. Check your pack and recipe instructions; no kitchen testing or foolproof substitution is claimed.