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What is Devonshire Cream?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Devonshire cream, also called Devon cream or clotted cream, is a common dairy product in England. It is possible to obtain it in the United States at some specialty stores or by ordering it from a dairy purveyor. This style of cream is extremely rich, with a high dairy fat content that makes it well suited to spreading on biscuits, cookies, and scones, or serving with berries for a creamy dessert treat. In appearance, it is very thick and often includes small clots or globules of dairy fat. The color is a pale creamy yellow.

The cream is produced in the Southwestern part of England, in the counties of Somerset, Cornwall, and Devon. It is traditionally made by allowing unpasteurized milk to sit for six to 12 hours, depending on ambient temperature, and then heating it to 180° Fahrenheit (82° Celsius) for an hour. A thick layer of clotted cream coagulates on top and is skimmed off for Devonshire cream after being allowed to rest for several hours. More than half the content is dairy fat, so it is not recommended for those on diets.

A spoonful of Devonshire cream.
A spoonful of Devonshire cream.

There are many recipes for making a mock Devonshire cream, usually integrating rich cheeses like Mascarpone or Neufchatel. These cheeses can be mixed with heavy cream or milk to form a thick, clotted creamy spread, although it doesn't taste quite the same. Devonshire cream has a faintly scalded flavor from the heat treatment process, with sweet caramelized notes as well, which is difficult to reproduce.

Pasteurized milk is used by some Devonshire cream producers in their recipes.
Pasteurized milk is used by some Devonshire cream producers in their recipes.

If stored in a sealed jar, Devonshire cream will keep quite well and has a very stable shelf life. It tends to taste better fresh, but is often available in glass jars overseas. These jars should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place to prolong the life of the cream, and when opened, it should be used as quickly as possible. Many producers now use pasteurized milk, because it is perceived to be safer, and the jar labeling will indicate this. Devonshire cream made with pasteurized milk tastes much the same as conventional cream, although it lacks the slightly sour note that some consumers favor.

Devonshire cream is often served with scones and berries.
Devonshire cream is often served with scones and berries.

Devonshire cream can be used in baking and will enrich the flavor of most recipes that call for cream, such as scones. It can also be blended with fruit such as raspberries or strawberries for a creamy fruit spread, or enhanced with the addition of extracts like almond and vanilla. As with any dairy product, it should not be eaten if it smells odd or shows significant color changes.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon130329

For closerfan12: Just before Thanksgiving I bought a jar of Devonshire Cream near Kansas City.

I too, had lived in England and loved the cream on scones and muffins.

Anyway, east of KC is Lee's Summit on 50 Hwy (350 Hwy). Take 50 Hwy east of Lee's Summit about or 7 miles. There is a small sign that says "Cockrell".

Turn there and follow that a couple miles (not sure).

There used to be a small town and now it is about seven shops that have the most wonderful items. Each shop has different things. Enjoy!

CopperPipe

If you like Devonshire cream with scones, then I would recommend you to try a Devonshire cheesecake. Though I do love a good NY style cheesecake, there's something about the sweet/salty combination in Devonshire clotted cream that brings your cheesecake up to a truly divine level.

It's also a good way to use English cream products with a tea without having to only rely on good old scones and strawberries -- puts a nice little twist on things.

musicshaman

Thanks for this article -- I was looking for a good article on how to make Devonshire cream, and this one was clear, concise, and gave me a lot of fun facts about the culture of clotted "creme" as my French friends insist on calling it. Thanks so much for the information; I will definitely be printing this off for the fridge.

closerfan12

I was wondering if anybody could tell me where to buy Devonshire clotted cream in Kansas City -- I recently returned from England, and that English clotted cream is fantastic! I really got to love having that English cream with tea and scones, and now that I'm back in the US, I really want to keep up the tradition.

Are there any good producers of clotted cream in the USA, and if so, which ones are near enough to Kansas City that I could get some good double Devon cream without it spoiling before it gets to me?

Thanks for the help!

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    • A spoonful of Devonshire cream.
      By: angelo.gi
      A spoonful of Devonshire cream.
    • Pasteurized milk is used by some Devonshire cream producers in their recipes.
      By: vlorzor
      Pasteurized milk is used by some Devonshire cream producers in their recipes.
    • Devonshire cream is often served with scones and berries.
      By: Andrew Mills
      Devonshire cream is often served with scones and berries.
    • Devonshire cream is produced in the Southwestern part of England, in the counties of Somerset, Cornwall, and Devon.
      By: Negura Dincolo
      Devonshire cream is produced in the Southwestern part of England, in the counties of Somerset, Cornwall, and Devon.