Buttermilk is one of my favourite ingredients to use when it comes to baking! I use it in so many of my recipes, including my soft vanilla cake and red velvet cake. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have buttermilk on hand, or can’t easily access it, you can make a great buttermilk substitute right at home.
What is buttermilk?
Buttermilk is a type of milk that’s traditionally made from the liquid that’s left over after churning butter. Modern buttermilk however, is typically made by adding good bacteria to milk. The bacteria ferment the lactose in the milk, creating lactic acid. This gives buttermilk its characteristic tangy flavor and thickened consistency. The buttermilk is then pasteurized and homogenized to extend its shelf life and improve its texture.
Why is buttermilk good for baking?
Buttermilk is great for baking because it helps to create soft, fluffy baked goods, and adds flavor and moisture. There are three main ways it does this:
- The acid in buttermilk reacts with baking soda to help the batter rise, giving baked goods a light and fluffy texture.
- The acidic content as well as fat, helps to tenderize the gluten from the flour by breaking down the protein strands. This results in a softer, more tender baked good.
- Buttermilk also adds a tangy flavor to baked goods, which can help to balance out sweet ingredients.
How to make buttermilk
In some places around the world buttermilk can be difficult to find, but there is a really easy way to make a great homemade substitute!
Firstly, measure 1 cup of milk and remove 1 tablespoon. If you don’t need to be super precise about having exactly 1 cup of buttermilk, then you can skip the step where you remove 1 tablespoon of the milk 🙂
After it’s had some time to rest, your milk should be curdled. And that is it! You have buttermilk ready to use 🙂
Homemade Buttermilk
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) white vinegar - lemon juice okay too
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of milk in a bowl/cup, and remove 1 tablespoon of it (see note 1).
- Add in 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and mix it together. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Your milk should now look curdled and is ready to use as buttermilk.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
62 Comments
I love the tips shared by you.
Can you please share your cake recipe where you used butter milk.
Thanks dear.
Hi Monica! Check out my vanilla cake and red velvet cake where I use buttermilk 🙂
Hi MK, you are amazing. Not just your recipes but also your way of teaching is so good. One question on this though, we traditionally make butter milk by diluting curd (homemade or store bought, which is a little sour) with water and giving it a good mix. We have that tangy and tasty buttermilk ready. Can we use the same for baking?
Hi Nandini! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback, so so happy to hear you’re enjoying the content :D. In terms of the buttermilk, I’m honestly not too sure about the different ways it’s made, but from what it sounds like it has the acidic qualities that you want in buttermilk so I imagine it should be okay! If it is very thin in consistency, then you may need to use slightly more flour, but give the original version a go and see how you go 🙂
Hello Mk, can yogurt make for a substitute since it has the characteristics of buttermilk?
Hello Ini! 🙂 Yoghurt is a good substitute for buttermilk, however I would be cautious when it comes to using it in large quantities as yoghurt is heavier and has a stronger taste than buttermilk. Sometimes little changes in a recipe can adversely affect the final product in terms of taste and texture, so it really depends on the recipe too. In general if a recipe calls for buttermilk then I would recommend using homemade buttermilk if possible otherwise smaller quantities of yoghurt will be fine (e.g. half cup or less) 🙂
Hi I am the beginner for baking
And your tips are very useful
I am not getting perfect cutting layars
Can you teach to get it in better way?
I love all your video s.
Hi Rajeswari! So happy to hear you’re finding the tips helpful 🙂 If you’re getting doming on your cake I would recommend watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSPLxB96V0w
For tips on how to level your cake layers for cake decorating, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtE1623OMNc
Hope that helps 🙂
Can I use powdered milk and reconstitute it to get one cup of liquid milk? What will be the quantity of powdered milk and how many mls. of water.
Hi Joy! I’ve never tried with powdered milk but it should work okay! And you want to use about 1/4 to a 1/3rd cup of powdered milk per 1 cup of water 🙂
nice classes I really like your way of teaching its clear
Thanks so much Oliva! So glad to hear you’re enjoying the content 🙂
Hello Mk, you said modern Buttermilk is gotten by adding good bacteria to milk. Does that make plain yogurt a good substitute too?
Hello Ini! 🙂 Yoghurt is a good substitute for buttermilk, however I would be cautious when it comes to using it in large quantities as yoghurt is heavier and has a stronger taste than buttermilk. Sometimes little changes in a recipe can adversely affect the final product in terms of taste and texture, so it really depends on the recipe too. In general if a recipe calls for buttermilk then I would recommend using homemade buttermilk if possible otherwise smaller quantities of yoghurt will be fine (e.g. half cup or less) 🙂
Thanks for sharing your little big secrets, I love to buy cakes and pastries, but nowadays I decide to try to bake something and your recipes and way to share makes me feel to take some classes with you when they are available 🙏
Hello Carmen! So glad to hear you’re enjoying the videos and that my content has encouraged you to bake up some of your very own treats 😀 hope to start some classes in the future and would love to have you onboard when I get around to it 🙂 thank you for all your support!
I really love this thank you so much for sharing.
Loved mk . Always here to support your delicious creations.
Thank you so much Alan! 😀 Really appreciate the support 🙂
I like your way of presentation. Well articulated
Thank you so much Chipo! So glad to hear you’re enjoying the content 🙂