7 Baking Substitutes for the Impulsive Baker

7 emergency baking substitutes for buttermilk, whole milk, molasses, sour cream, cake flour etc if you are an impulsive baker.

I'm not one for baking everyday, but when I do, it's mostly impulsive. And that means, never having all the ingredients on hand. I end up substituting along the way, which I've heard is a big no-no in the baking world, but works for me. I mean when a girl wants cake, she wants it NOW! And while 2 minute microwave mug cakes rule my world, sometimes I crave for the real thing! So here's a list of my top 7 baking substitutes for the impulsive baker, that'll rock your world!

Buttermilk

That reclusive ingredient that so many cakes need, but never there when you need it! Here's how to substitute it:

1 cup Buttermilk = 1 tablespoon Vinegar/Lemon Juice + 1 cup Milk

Check out my Orange Buttermilk Pound Cake recipe

Whole Milk

Who doesn't ALWAYS have milk in their house? __Raises hand in shame_ _Here's a quick substitute in case you haven't eaten all that powdered milk too:

1 cup Whole Milk = ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water

Sour Cream

I stay away from storing sour cream in the fridge because I come dangerously close to eating all those calories with the fridge door open, but my favorite carrot cake recipe - sour cream; my favorite pound cake recipe - sour cream again. So here's how I substitute it:

1 cup Sour Cream =1 cup plain yogurt

Or

1 cup Sour Cream =1 cup soft cottage cheese/ Paneer + 2 Tablespoons milk + 1 tablespoons lemon juice blended in a blender

Molasses

Not the most easily available ingredient in India. And insanely expensive if you find it. So here's a substitute, which may not give you the exact same flavour or colour, but will do:

1 cup Molasses = 1 cup Honey/ Maple Syrup

Cake Flour

I never have cake flour on hand when I need it. But it can add a wonderful lightness to cakes that ask for it and is a low-gluten flour especially developed for cakes with a wonderful, light crumb structure. Here's how to make it on your own:

1 cup Cake Flour = 1 cup All Purpose Flour - 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour + 2 tablespoons Corn Flour (Mix and sift everything together twice)

Egg

Most cake recipes ask for eggs but you finished all of them at breakfast. Or you just don’t eat eggs. Here's a substitute (I've personally never tried this one, because eggs are awesome, but the internet says it works):

1 Egg = 1 tablespoon Flax Seeds, ground to a powder + 3 tablespoons Water (Mix and leave for an hour before using)

If you prefer eggless baking, check out my Eggless Chocolate Brownies

Self Raising Flour

Self raising flour is nothing but flour with baking soda. Here's the exact measurement so that you can just make it yourself:

1 cup Self Raising Flour = 1 cup All Purpose Flour + ¼ teaspoon Salt + 1 ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda (Mix and sift everything together twice)

Before you go, check out my Brown Butter Banana Bread recipe 🙂