Photo: Kemp Minifie
As if I haven’t extolled the virtues of authentic buttermilk enough in my article “Crazy For Kate’s Real Buttermilk” in this week’s issue of Gourmet Live, let me add another one: At less than 1 percent milk fat, it’s lower in fat than some of the commercial brands of “buttermilk” that are actually cultured skim milk!
Not only is Kate’s a delicious product to drink—it’s cultured to give it a delicious tang—it also makes baked goods so tender, you’d swear they had gobs more butter in them. I know, because I’ve tested a standard yellow cake recipe with the cultured skim milk product, whole milk yogurt, and sour cream, and none of those cakes could match the texture and flavor of the one I made with the bona fide buttermilk.
But if I’m frustrated I can’t get Kate’s Buttermilk where I live in New York City, I’m sure many of you are, too. So this morning, I made my own butter and buttermilk according to a recipe on Epicurious.com. Call me a food geek, but it was so thrilling! Within less than ten minutes—I made mine in two batches—I had a total of 1¼ pounds of glorious, fresh butter, and 3 cups of genuine buttermilk. Both the butter and buttermilk are going into a 20th birthday cake this weekend for my younger daughter, and I know it will be the best chocolate cake I ever made!
You made your own butter and buttermilk in 10 minutes! Wow, geek though you may be, I think that’s so exciting! I want to do it too! WOW!!! I’m going to do this! I’ll write again and let you know how it turns out!
How about the chocolate buttermilk cake recipe? That will inspire some butter/buttermilk making here! Please?