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First of all, the reason I ask is because I wanted to follow this recipe for making a keto tiramisu cake but this person is adding sour cream to the batter which I don't agree with(isn't it going to taste weird?) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RWlUuaktsA

I want to use double cream instead. Do you think I can make this substitute?

Recipe:

CAKE:

  • 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (65g) butter - melted
  • 1/3 cup (78ml) brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup (100g) sugar substitute (I used erythritol)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups (200g) almond flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

ICING:

  • 1 1/8th cup (250g) mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream - whipped
  • 1/2 cup (100g) sugar substitute
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
Bee
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1 Answers1

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Adding sour cream isn't going to make it taste weird, so you could use it no problem, in fact it's a really good ingredient - more on that later. You can use double cream, but you've got to make adjustments - it's not a straight substitute for 2 reasons:

  1. Fat content: sour cream is 20% fat, double cream is 50%. If you substitute double cream you'll be increasing the fat in the recipe by about 50% (the butter is 80% fat). If you mix 1 part double cream and 2 parts milk and add that you'll have about the same amount of fat. However, sour cream will be much thicker, so you will get a runnier batter, and you will not get the same structure in the end result
  2. Acidity: Sour cream has lactic acid added to make it tangy. Your recipe. Many recipes have baking soda in it, and may have baking powder as well. Baking soda must react with an acid in order to work, if you substitute double cream for sour cream you are removing the acid, so you'll need to replace the baking soda with baking powder. (Note, I first wrote this when there was no recipe in the question, I'm keeping it because many recipes do use baking soda, and I like a complete answer as it helps a broader set of readers)

When the acid in sour cream reacts with baking powder the acidity is reacted away, if there is baking soda your batter won't be sour anymore. In the case of your recipe there there is only baking powder, so any tartness is the intent of the recipe. Perhaps it is there to help balance out the bitterness of the coffee.

So, you can substitute double cream with some measure of success, but I personally would trust the recipe and use sour cream.

GdD
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    since the person is using baking powder, does that mean there is no reaction? and if that's the case, then the tartness is still present. I don't want to risk it so can I use the sour cream but with baking soda instead of baking powder? By the way the recipe is in the youtube description but I will add it above in the post as well – Bee Mar 21 '22 at 12:29
  • Thanks for posting the recipe @Bee, I've edited accordingly. I would follow the recipe without modification, maybe do a half sized test cake if you're concerned. If you do that and your cake is a bit tart you could add just a bit of baking soda in the next batch. It depends on how bitter your coffee is. I personally prefer espresso in tiramisu, but for many that's not an option. Espresso is less bitter and more coffee flavor, so would need less acidity to offset. – GdD Mar 21 '22 at 12:47
  • *"you'll be increasing the fat in the recipe by 150%"* Not really. Note the half cup of butter. – Anastasia Zendaya Mar 23 '22 at 14:13
  • That is a point @AnastasiaZendaya. I originally wrote this before the recipe was in the question, so I didn't know about the butter. I will edit accordingly. – GdD Mar 23 '22 at 14:20