Did you milk just go sour? Make a coffee cake! Oh yes, a conventional cinnamon streusel coffee cake recipe comes together like any cake recipe, but we’re using that expired milk. Did you know that you can use freshly expired or sour milk in your baking recipes? BE SURE to ditch milk that has changed color or has big chunks of curdled milk. The slightly sour milk in this adds a sourdough-like flavor that your guests will never be able to tell the difference between. Sour milk is still very much usable and I want to encourage people to use it up like we would an expiring banana. Freeze it and save it for your next recipe. Milk that has been expired for a while will add funky flavors in our final product, so ditch that. Most times flavors like cinnamon, fruit, or chocolate will pair with the sour milk flavor beautifully.

The best way to preserve your milk at this stage is by freezing it. No need to run to the grocery store last minute and wasting another gallon.

Sour milk is a process that occurs as soon as the processed milk is stored. The bacteria that lives in milk starts to break down the natural sugars in the milk overtime and convert it from lactose sugar to lactic acid thus the sweet turns to sour. Fresh milk is naturally odorless because of the lack of this acid build-up. Your nose is your best guide when it comes to anything expired due to the off smells. DO NOT TRUST EXPIRATION DATES. The smell of your milk will be your indicator. Check in with your milk each day to determine.

A classic “Cowboy” cake utilizes buttermilk. Buttermilk is traditionally sour milk, but it sounds cuter as buttermilk. Don’t be afraid of this sour flavor as it adds a depth a flavor normal milk could never. Start experimenting with safe sour milk in your recipes and see what you can come up with!