Cream is the rich, high-fat layer of milk — the fraction that, left undisturbed, rises to the top as a pale, satiny stratum of concentrated milkfat. Smooth, glossy and gently sweet with a clean dairy aroma, it is the kitchen's great enricher: poured into sauces and soups, simmered into ganache and custards, churned into ice cream, and whipped into airy clouds for everything from scones to pavlova.