Place the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or even overnight. If you need to whip up a small amount of cream, use an electric hand mixer or a hand whisk instead. Using a balloon whisk gives you better control of your movements and prevents overbeating.

Extra tip: During summertime, it is recommended to set your mixing bowl on top of a larger container filled with cold water and ice.

Take the bowl and beaters out of the freezer and dry them out. Pour in very cold heavy whipping cream and add scraped seeds of vanilla bean. Start by beating at a low speed for 30-60 seconds to aerate the cream.  Gradually increase speed to medium-high and continue mixing until the cream almost doubles in volume.

At first, the whipped cream's texture will resemble melted ice cream, then will go through three stages: from soft to medium and stiff peaks. The "whipping" time depends on the milk fat content of your cream and the temperature of the room. It can vary between 3 and 5 minutes with the use of a hand and stand mixer and 7-11 minutes for a balloon whisk. 

Extra tip: Watch out for the right consistency. Pay attention to color: the appearance of yellow highlights means overbeating the cream!

Transfer the cream to a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip and fill the cooled desserts. Or cover the bowl with plastic film and refrigerate. When ready to serve, aerate it again with a whisk.