Full question
I'm Spanish and in supermarkets here you can't find sour cream. I want to make the Guinness Chocolate Cake and I'm wondering what can I use instead of sour cream to make it? Thank you very much.
Our answer
Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from FEAST) uses sour cream in the cake batter. Sour cream has a fat content of around 15% and a slight acidity. The acid is needed to cause a reaction with the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to create bubbles of carbon dioxide, which causes the cake to rise. If you have a German-based supermarket in your area it is worth checking their dairy section as they often sell sour cream, labelled as "saurrham".
If you can find creme fraiche in your local supermarket then this is the next best option. The fat content of creme fraiche is up to 25% but it would be fine for this cake or, if possible, buy a reduced fat version as this usally has a fat content closer to 15%. If neither of these options are available either then we suggest using the equivalent amount of full fat (whole milk) Greek yogurt and adding a tablespoon of flavourless vegetable oil to the butter and Guinness at step 2, as this should provide a similar fat content with the required acidity. However we would mention that we have not tried this substitute with this particular recipe so are unable to guarantee the results.
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