Out of Buttermilk, one case

Buttermilk substitute for cake

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Milk + lemon juice or vinegar

1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acid for every cup of buttermilk

For cake, use soured milk: 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, filled to the 1-cup line with milk and left 5 to 10 minutes. It gives the same rise as buttermilk and a slightly lighter crumb. Plain yogurt thinned with milk, ¾ cup yogurt to ¼ cup milk, makes a richer, moister cake. Plain milk alone is not a substitute when the cake is leavened with baking soda.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Measure the acid into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with milk, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes. Use it at room temperature, as the recipe would use buttermilk.
Best for —: chocolate and red velvet cake
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full buttermilk card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Buttermilk substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup buttermilk	Verdict
1	Milk + lemon juice or vinegarchocolate and red velvet cake	1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acidTweak it	Tweak it
2	Plain yogurt + milkpound cake, bundt cake and coffee cake	¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milkTweak it	Tweak it
3	Sour cream + milkpound cake and bundt cake	¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup milkTweak it	Tweak it
4	Kefirany cake recipe that calls for buttermilk	1 cupWorks	Works
5	Buttermilk powder + waterany buttermilk cake	4 tbsp powder + 1 cup waterWorks	Works
Not a swap	Plain milk	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Milk + lemon juice or vinegar

no difference once baked

The acid in soured milk reacts with the baking soda exactly as buttermilk does, so the cake rises the same. Once baked, the sharper taste of the vinegar or lemon is gone.

Best for: chocolate and red velvet cake, yellow and vanilla layer cakes, cupcakes and sheet cakes
Prep: Measure the acid into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with milk, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes. Use it at room temperature, as the recipe would use buttermilk.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Uncooked buttermilk glazes and frostings, where the raw vinegar tastes through. Use thinned yogurt there.

White vinegar is the most neutral. Lemon juice suits vanilla and citrus cakes. Whole milk gives the closest crumb.

Plain yogurt + milk

creamier and rounder

Cultured, so the acid and tang are real, and it carries more fat than buttermilk. In cake that extra richness is usually welcome.

Best for: pound cake, bundt cake and coffee cake, chocolate cake, cakes that should stay moist for days
Prep: Whisk ¾ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt with ¼ cup milk until it pours in a stream. With thick Greek yogurt use ½ cup yogurt and ½ cup milk.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Unthinned, it makes the batter stiff and the cake dense. Vanilla or sweetened yogurt adds sugar the recipe did not plan for.

Sour cream + milk

richer and milder

Acidic and much richer than buttermilk. It makes a tight, velvety, moist crumb, which is why many cake recipes call for sour cream outright.

Best for: pound cake and bundt cake, chocolate cake, coffee cake
Prep: Whisk half the milk into the sour cream until smooth, then the rest. In a delicate cake, cut the recipe's butter or oil by about 1 tbsp to allow for the extra fat.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Light, airy cakes: the extra fat weighs down a sponge or a chiffon.

Kefir

the same once baked

Cultured, pourable and about as acidic as buttermilk. It goes into the batter with nothing changed.

Best for: any cake recipe that calls for buttermilk, buttermilk glazes, since it is cultured and not soured with vinegar
Prep: Use plain, unsweetened kefir and shake the bottle first.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Flavored kefir, which adds sugar and its own flavor.

Buttermilk powder + water

the same

Dried cultured buttermilk. Mixed back with water it is the ingredient the recipe asked for.

Best for: any buttermilk cake, bakers who rarely finish a carton
Prep: Whisk the powder into the flour and add the water with the wet ingredients. Check the tin: some brands call for 3 tbsp per cup.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Powdered milk is not the same thing: it is not acidic and will not set off baking soda.

Plain milk

flat, with no tang

Milk replaces the liquid and none of the acid. In a cake raised by baking soda, the acid is half of the leavening.

Best for: cakes leavened with baking powder only
Where it fails: Any cake that lists baking soda: it rises poorly, bakes dense and tastes soapy or metallic.

If you have no acid at all, keep the milk plain and replace each ½ tsp of baking soda with 2 tsp of baking powder.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeButtermilk

In cake, buttermilk is there for its acid and its thinness. The acid reacts with baking soda to raise the cake and keeps the crumb tender and fine. Because it is as thin as milk, the batter stays pourable. Flavor matters less than in biscuits or dressing, since sugar, cocoa and vanilla cover the tang, so any acidic liquid of the right thickness works.

Tips for substituting buttermilk

5 tips

For ½ cup of buttermilk, use 1 ½ tsp of lemon juice or vinegar topped up to ½ cup with milk. For 1 ½ cups, use 1 ½ tbsp topped up to 1 ½ cups.
Bring the substitute to room temperature before it goes in. Cold liquid added to creamed butter and sugar makes the batter look curdled.
Pick by the cake. Soured milk for light layer cakes and cupcakes; thinned yogurt or sour cream for pound cake, bundt cake and chocolate cake, where a richer, closer crumb is wanted.
The soured milk will look lumpy. That is the acid working. Stir it and pour it in.
Get the pans into the oven as soon as the batter is mixed. The acid and the baking soda start reacting the moment they meet.

Questions

4 questions

Can I use regular milk in place of buttermilk in a cake?

Not on its own if the recipe has baking soda. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar per cup of milk and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes. If you have no acid, use plain milk and replace each ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. In a cake raised only by baking powder, plain milk works, with a little less tenderness.

What is the best buttermilk substitute for red velvet or chocolate cake?

Milk soured with white vinegar: 1 tablespoon topped up to 1 cup with milk. Both cakes rely on baking soda, so the acid has to be there, and white vinegar adds no flavor or color of its own. Kefir, cup for cup, is the other swap that changes nothing.

Will my cake taste of vinegar or lemon?

No. One tablespoon in a cup of milk, spread through a whole cake and baked, cannot be tasted. Where it does show is in anything uncooked, such as a buttermilk glaze; use kefir or thinned plain yogurt for that.

Can I use sour cream or Greek yogurt in place of buttermilk in a cake mix or recipe?

Yes, thinned so the batter is not short of liquid. Whisk ¾ cup sour cream with ¼ cup milk, or ½ cup Greek yogurt with ½ cup milk, for each cup of buttermilk. The cake is richer and a little denser, with a moist crumb.