Place the cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a clean bowl (if you chill it first, the cream will whip up faster), or the bowl of a standing mixer outfitting with the whisk insert.
Use a whisk or a handheld electric mixer on high speed to beat the cream, moving it all around the bowl, until it starts to form soft peaks (or turn on the standing mixer). You may stop there, if that’s as firm as you like it, or continue to beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks (which is when you pull out the whisk or beater and the cream stays in a point, drooping down at the tip). Stop beating at this point – overbeating can cause the cream to separate.
Use immediately, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours. It can be stored longer, but it will start to lose body.
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Notes
One way to make whipping cream go faster and easier is to make sure the cream, the bowl and the whisk or beaters are very cold before you start whipping the cream. The cream should be well chilled in the fridge. The bowl and beaters or whisk can be put into the freezer for 20 minutes or more before you begin. This will move things along quickly!
If a recipe says to whip cream until it forms soft peaks it means that you will want to whip the cream until it it firm enough that when you lift out the whisk or beaters the peak of cream droops over slightly where you lifted your beating implement.
If a recipe says to whip cream until it forms firm peaks it means that you will want to whip the cream until it it firm enough that when you lift out the whisk or beaters the peak of cream stand up in a point where you lifted your beating implement. Below is firm peaks.