How To Make The Perfect Vanilla Cake

Which ingredient makes the best sponge cake — milk, sour cream, or buttermilk? In this video, I baked three cakes using the exact same recipe but changed just one ingredient for each if the three bakes…. The results surprised me — from the rise and texture to the flavour and colour. Watch to the end to see which one came out soft, fluffy, and rich… Let me know what you think, or if I missed anything….. Ingredients- The recipe makes a 6 inch cake. 112.50 margarine 185g sugar 2 eggs 155 flour 80ml milk or sour cream or buttermilk -choose one 1tsp vanilla Some things for you to think about when baking - 🧁 1. Cracks on Top Cracking usually means: • The oven temperature was slightly too hot or the batter was thicker — the top sets before the centre finishes rising, so the middle bursts through and cracks. • Acidic batters (like with sour cream or buttermilk) react strongly with baking soda/powder, creating extra lift early in the bake. That strong rise can cause the surface to split. • Thicker or richer batters (due to the fat in sour cream) don’t spread as easily, so they’re more likely to dome or crack. 👉 The milk cake probably had a thinner, more fluid batter that baked evenly, so it didn’t split as dramatically. ⸻ 🧈Buttermilk Here’s what could be going on: a) Too much acidity If your recipe already has baking powder and you added buttermilk without adjusting, the acid can actually make the batter unstable — leading to tunnelling, uneven crumb, or less rise after the initial oven burst. b) Overactivated leavening Buttermilk’s acid reacts fast with baking soda/powder. If the batter sat before baking or the oven wasn’t ready, some of the gas escaped early, leaving it dense. c) Low fat content Unlike sour cream (which is rich and creamy), buttermilk is mostly liquid with less fat. That means less moisture retention and richness, so the cake can end up drier and coarser. d) Thicker crust from fast baking The acidity and moisture balance in buttermilk can cause the top to brown and harden quickly, forming cracks as the centre expands. #howtobakecajes #milkvsourceeamvbuttermilk #sourcreamcake #buttermilkcake # milkcake #cakecomparisons