Buttermilk cake: Fake it so you can make it

You don’t have to buy buttermilk to make this super-rich buttermilk chocolate cake.

Just fake it with a cup of milk, replacing 1 tablespoon of it with lemon juice or distilled white vinegar.

Buttermilk isn’t something I usually have on hand. But, in baking, it adds a certain airy tenderness. Think buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, quick breads.

Think extra-moist chocolate cake or, in this case, cupcakes.

I used Martha Stewart’s recipe to make cupcakes for a recent party. If you need chocolate cupcakes for a kid’s party or a classic chocolate birthday cake, try this recipe. Use buttermilk if you happen to have it. Or, just make your own substitute.

How To Make Buttermilk from Plain Milk with Lemon Juice or Vinegar

From thekitchn.com

1 scant cup milk (whole, 2 percent or heavy cream)

1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Combine the milk and lemon juice. Measure 1 scant cup of milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.

Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you will see small curdled bits. This substitute will not become as thick as regular buttermilk; you will also not notice the curdled bits in your finished recipe.

Use this substitute (including curdled bits) as you would buttermilk in your recipe.

Other Buttermilk Substitutes: Yogurt – Mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup water to thin.

Sour cream – Mix 3/4 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup plain water to thin.

Kefir –Thin kefir as needed with milk or plain water until it reaches the consistency of buttermilk.

Cream of tartar – Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled.

Chocolate Cake

From Martha Stewart

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Place one cake, bottom side up, on a cake stand. Tuck strips of parchment paper underneath. Using an offset spatula or table knife, spread top with frosting. Top with remaining cake; frost top, then sides.

Notes: For an extra kick, I added ¼ teaspoon of cayenne, which I might up to ½ teaspoon next time. Freshly ground black pepper also adds warmth and depth.

Stewart suggested pairing the cake with her glossy whipped frosting, but I didn’t feel like bothering with the double-boiler, egg-white situation, so I used vanilla buttercream frosting instead. Both recipes are below.

Whipped Frosting

From Martha Stewart

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, salt and water. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved (or mixture registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes; reduce to low, add vanilla extract, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

From Betty Crocker

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk.

Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting becomes too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar. Frosts 13-by-9-inch cake generously, or fills and frosts an 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake.