if i had a cake recipe that called for milk, could i replace the milk with full fat buttermilk and not harm the cake? i like the way buttermilk tastes in cakes and i have a recipe that just calls for milk that i'd like to modify a bit if i can get away with it.

cake i want to monkey with is a white butter based cake.

diane

It would affect the texture of the cake because milk and buttermilk don't have the same fat content. You should try it and see what happens, though. Maybe do part buttermilk, not all?

from yahoo.com...

"If the recipe contains baking soda, the acid in the buttermilk is necessary to activate the baking. the secret of buttermilk baking: The acid in buttermilk or plain sour milk( mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk), for that matterreacts with the antacid of baking soda to form lots of gas bubbles inside your batter, which makes one the best non-yeast leavening there is. If you substitute this rising action for the baking powder-salt formula of a standard recipe, however, it's usually advisable to just cut back on your baking powder measurement rather than eliminate it entirely. (So there'll still be salt in your mix, and the combination will give you some extra leavening insurance.), the buttermilk has more flavor and is richer."

So based on this information, I'm thinking it may cause a higher rise if you sub it for regular milk.

Here is another article that would be very helpful to you

http://www.nestle.com/NutritionHealthAndWellness/Cooking/AskGilla/CookingTips/Buttermilk+for+milk.htm

HTH

thank you alicia! those were very helpful!
from the article: For the best results you would need to replace some or all of the baking powder in the recipe with baking soda in order to neutralize the acid in the buttermilk

...so out with the powder and in with the soda

will i have to much fat with buttermilk and butter? can you actually have to much fat, lol?

it will change the taste a little and the texture. the choc cake i make calls for buttermilk but i use regular milk. its more fluffy than when i use the buttermilk.