Buttermilk is usually an ingredient in recipes that also call for baking powder. If you substitute milk for buttermilk you will end up with one very flat and dense cake. Instead follow the simple steps below and your recipe will come out perfectly.
Buttermilk's name comes from the way it was originally made, by skimming the liquid off the top when making cream. Nowadays however, it is actually normal pasteurized milk with a culture of lactic acid which stimulates the same naturally occurring bacteria that was found in the originally made one.
The result of this process is a thick sour tasting milk which you either love or hate. For me, it reminds me of visiting my grandparents as a child and watching my grandpa fill his glass with the thick substance and happily drink every last drop of it. I was revolted by it as a kid but once I started baking and found it as an ingredient in some of my recipes I learned to at least appreciate its, or at least its important role in the baking process.
Buttermilk:
1 cup of milk (reduced fat, but not skim)
1 teaspoon of vinegar (any kind will do)
1) Mix the milk and the vinegar together.
2) Let sit for 5 minutes than use in any recipe!
