Baking substitute whole milk - half and half or 2%?

[pete6032]

I am baking a cake and the recipe calls for 3/4 cup whole milk. I don't have any whole milk on hand but I do have 2% as well as half and half. From what I read I could either use half and half plus water, or I could just use 2% even though 2% doesn't have as much fat in it. What would be better, trying to do a mixture of half and half and water or just going with 2%?

 

[IronWing]

Mix the half and half with the two percent. 0.6 cups 2% + 0.15 cups half and half will get you back to the fat content of whole milk. Or, for simplicity, use a half cup 2% and a quarter cup half and half and savor the extra fat.

 

[Captante]

2% by itself should be fine although mixing in a little h&h to up the fat-content can't hurt. Using h&h by itself will almost certainly not taste right... baking is a case where "some's good so more must be better" does not apply.

Bear in mind however that most whole milk is only 3-3.5% fat while h&h is around 12%... don't go overboard.

 

[IronWing]

Bear in mind however that most whole milk is only 3-3.5% fat.

The internet lied to me and said it was 4%. With this new knowledge, put two tablespoons of half and half in the measuring cup and fill up the measuring cup with 2% to 0.75 cup. This will get you close enough.

 

[Captante]

This will get you close enough

I bet if you tried baking a cake with straight 12% fat h&h it would make for one seriously over-rich dessert!

Most likely would have a consistency more like fudge then cake!




(now I want to bake fudge dangnit!)

 

[IronWing]

I bet if you tried baking a cake with straight 12% fat h&h it would make for one seriously over-rich dessert!

Most likely would have a consistency more like fudge then cake!

(now I want to bake fudge dangnit!)

Fudge > cake anyway.

 

[Pohemi]

Fudge > cake anyway.

Fudge is heavenly, while the cake is a lie.

 

[IronWing]

OP, we're going to need a picture of this cake when it's done.

 

[MrSquished]

I bet if you tried baking a cake with straight 12% fat h&h it would make for one seriously over-rich dessert!

Most likely would have a consistency more like fudge then cake!




(now I want to bake fudge dangnit!)

I thought whole milk yogurt was 5%, but yet just regular whole milk is 4%?

These cows are fucking sneaky!

 

[sandorski]

Either, water also would work. Each choice will affect the end result, but the cake will be ok regardless.

 

[pete6032]

OP, we're going to need a picture of this cake when it's done.

Here they are thus far. I will frost them later this afternoon, which I have never done before. I decided to go with cupcakes rather than a cake. Wife really likes confetti. The batter was a little overmixed and you can see I had some issues filling the tins so they're not all uniform in size but the frosting will hide these problems. I ended up using 2% milk plus a couple tbsp of half and half.

And yes, there are 11 because I ate one.

 

[sdifox]

Fudge is heavenly, while the cake is a lie.

Cheesecake is a lie!

 

[sdifox]

Here they are thus far. I will frost them later this afternoon, which I have never done before. I decided to go with cupcakes rather than a cake. Wife really likes confetti. The batter was a little overmixed and you can see I had some issues filling the tins so they're not all uniform in size but the frosting will hide these problems. I ended up using 2% milk plus a couple tbsp of half and half.

And yes, there are 11 because I ate one.

View attachment 53248

Those are muffins

 

[Captante]

I thought whole milk yogurt was 5%, but yet just regular whole milk is 4%?

These cows are fucking sneaky!

Makes sense since the process of making yogurt will result in the loss of a significant amount of water from said milk concentrating the fat.

 

[pete6032]

Those are muffins

Here are your muffins.

 

[sdifox]

Here are your muffins.
View attachment 53262

Now it's a cupcake