How much double cream would you account for per person?

[ItsMintUpNorth]

A close friend is getting married in a few weeks and has tasked me with providing the double cream for dessert, and working out how much to bring!

The main food is being provided by an outside caterer and then dessert is going to be a selection of brownies from a local baker. My friend was getting stressed by all the things she has to do the day before the wedding, one of which was get hold of enough cream (doesn't want to trust an online shop), so I have offered to sort it as I will be closely passing a Costco on my way down to the venue.

So, how many mls of cream would you cater for per person? I instantly thought 100ml as I personally would have my brownie swimming in it, but obviously others will use a lot less?! I honestly have no idea where to start... friend suggested a tablespoon per person but has a notoriously tiny appetite so I said I would also sort quantity .

Any help appreciated from someone more experienced than I am! There is around 130 guests in total with about 15 vegan people which I am going to buy Oatly for after a couple of recommendations.

Best have too much as too little. 100mls per head pp sounds alright however many will probably just want it dry.

I’d buy 10 1l bottles - should be plenty.

I wouldn't have any cream on a brownie! It's a cake I would eat with my fingers.
Maybe average 25ml per person if you want to be safe. And make plans for what you will do with the leftovers!

This was the original debate, whether to cream or not . But she decided it would be good to offer it as it is the 'main' dessert (cake will be served later on)

Not everyone will eat cake and of those who do, not everyone will put cream on it.

I'd say 100 mls per person is probably on the generous side, but a tablespoon or 25 mls is probably not enough.

I'd guess around 6-8 litres of dairy cream and whatever amount you can buy close to a litre of Oatly will be about the right amount and even be on the generous side as 15 of the guests won't touch the normal cream, and a good proportion of the remaining 115 won't either, say a third? So now you're down to around 80 guests who will want a brownie and cream so that's 100 ml pp, which is probably over the top, so I'd probably buy 6 litres. It won't be a disaster if it runs out.

Are there going to be bowls and spoons if there's going to be a 'brownie swimming in cream' option?

You said you're getting oatly for the vegans but will the brownies be vegan? They're not usually vegan.

Personally, I wouldn't ruin a good brownie by adding cream but obviously everyone is different. You will have people like you who love cream, people like me who dislike cream and most people somewhere in the middle. Even allowing for loving it, 100ml per person sounds mad given it doubles in volume when whipped so that would give you 200ml per person.

According to https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-whipped-cream-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-102056 (who knew you needed a recipe for whipping cream!)

Serving amount: Cream roughly doubles when it is whipped. One cup of cream will make about 2 cups of whipped cream, which is enough for 8 to 10 people to each get a healthy dollop on their pie. You can halve or double (or triple!) the amount as needed.

1 cup = 250ml so going with 250ml for 8 people, 3.5l of unwhipped cream should be enough for 115 non-vegans. Go with 4l to be on the safe side.

I would estimate approx half the guests won't want cream on their brownie and for those that do, they won't use any more than 50ml each (on average) so I would go for 25ml per invited guest

Have you got jugs for the cream? Somewhere cool to keep it before it's needed? I am imagining you in your wedding best traipsing round Costco then having to spend time decanting it all into jugs. I would say 50 mL (approx 3tbsp per person) is enough. I'm assuming it won't be whipped as who is going to do it?

A great variety of responses which I will consider thank you!

To answer some questions:
The brownies are all vegan
We can use the kitchen at the venue and I am travelling down the day before with the cream, which will then be stored in the fridges and decanted into jugs by the staff on the day
It will be self-serve with bowls/spoons, then the brownies then the jugs of cream laid out on a buffet table.
Not whipped

God what a conundrum

100mls per person as op suggested

Here I was thinking offering a quick nip into Costco would take no thought at all

There's no such thing as a quick trip into Costco!

I will be going in with tunnel vision for the cream and only the cream! And maybe a slice of pizza on my way out

are the brownies going to be warm or cold ?
cold I wouldn't have cream with
warm yes I would
but would be disappointed that the cream is not whipped, so would only have a little i.e. a large tablespoon worth

Go for 20ml and assume 3/4 take up. I wouldn't want a dry brownie and I wouldn't want 10ml! My husband likes more cream than dessert as well. Maybe get some squirty cream as well?

I would allow about 150ml per person. You will definitely have leftovers but I would hate to risk running out and at weddings some people will be more abstemious than they want to be if they suspect there won't be enough to go around so make sure there's a big jug of cream for every table so everyone feels free to take as much as they want.

I disagree about whipped, pouring cream is nicer and what is normally served with desserts.

I would say 100ml per person of freshly whipped (not squirty) cream if the brownies are hot but otherwise I can't imagine many would bother with a cold brownie.

All vegan brownies is a bit disappointing, they tend to be a bit dryer than ones made with eggs. I avoid brownies if I see they are the vegan option as well.
Maybe up the cream allowance!

Edited to correct typos

10 litres seems a good amount, I'm a swimming in it person too

Hot Brownies - pouring cream
Cold Brownies - no cream or whipped

But it also depends on the size of the Brownie and the plate. A normal plate - a lot less cream to avoid a mess. A bowl - more cream as it's eay to over-pour

I would go for 100ml per person but maybe let the staff only decant 1/2 and replentish the jugs.

Do the brownies just happen to be vegan? Or are they for vegans, in which case they will not want dairy cream.
Sorry to add to your job, but do you need some vegan cream?

I wouldn’t offer cream (brownies are lovely without and I would estimate half wouldn’t want cream anyway even if offered!)
save you all a headache!

Get a few cans of squirty cream, it needs to be whipped surely

Re-read OP's posts!