While some recipes can withstand ingredient substitutions, most traditional baking recipes cannot. Remember that baking is a science and certain ingredients are used for a reason. If substitutions have been successfully tested, you’ll see it written in the blog post or recipe notes. Otherwise, we likely haven’t tested it. And when making substitutions, the results will always differ from the original recipe.
Some common substitutions we do use:
Sour Cream/Yogurt: Typically, sour cream and plain yogurt can be used interchangeably in baking recipes.
Buttermilk Substitution: If you don’t have any buttermilk, you can make a DIY soured milk. For every 1 cup of buttermilk, add 1 or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Fill with enough regular milk to yield 1 cup. Whisk together, then let sit for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Whole milk is best, but you can use any fat or nondairy milk. The lower the fat, the less “rich” the baked good will taste.
Cake Flour: When a recipe calls for cake flour, it's best to use cake flour. In a pinch, however, you can make your own cake flour substitute.