Whisking cream by hand may take some time, but this technique is beneficial to prevent over whipping, which is common mistake when using an electic mixer. Whipped cream should form soft peaks as air in encorporated into it. To be able to whip cream you should use double cream or whipping cream only. Whipped cream can be used to accompany desserts such as Anna Hansen's mum's apple torte or a part of a recipe such as Geoffrey Smeddle's traditional eton mess.