Baking things for the weekend should always be a lot of fun. It’s great to make tasty treats that you can enjoy with your family.
Of course, many baking recipes are going to call for baking powder. You might be worried about what you’re going to do if you don’t have any baking powder in your pantry, though.
If you have baking soda, is it going to be fine to use that as a substitute? Is baking soda close enough that you’ll be able to use it and have things turn out fine?
Keep reading to learn about whether you can use baking soda instead of baking powder. You’ll be able to move forward with baking your dessert without being worried once you know the answer.
Baking Soda Can Be Used Instead of Baking Powder
Yes, baking soda can indeed be used in recipes instead of baking powder. However, you need to know that you can’t use the same amount of baking soda or it would be too much.
Baking soda is actually three times more powerful than baking powder. Thus, you can’t replace baking powder with the same amount of baking soda that the recipe calls for.
You’ll need to use less baking soda so that your recipe doesn’t turn out wrong. For example, a recipe that asks for one tablespoon of baking powder will allow you to use one teaspoon of baking soda safely.
This isn’t the only thing that you need to know, though. Baking soda also needs to be offset by adding acidic ingredients to the recipe that you’re baking.
It’ll be necessary to add acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar to the recipe so that things will turn out properly. For every half a teaspoon of baking soda that you’re using, it’s recommended to add one teaspoon of either vinegar or lemon juice.
Which acidic ingredient you will want to use will depend on what you’re baking. Sometimes it might make more sense to use lemon juice, but vinegar could be a better fit for certain recipes.
As long as you keep this in mind, you’ll be able to replace baking powder using baking soda. Your recipe will turn out just fine, and you’ll be glad to be able to bake your dessert.
You Could Make Your Own Baking Powder
Did you know that it’s relatively simple to make your own baking powder? If you have some baking soda in your pantry, then there’s a good chance that you have everything that you need to get this done.
For some, making baking powder when necessary is the easiest route to take. It can be tough to keep baking powder in your home when you live in a very humid environment.
If you find that your baking powder doesn’t keep well in your home, then just making it when you need it is a sensible choice. It’s really easy to get this done, too.
To get started, you’re going to need to mix one part baking soda with two parts cream of tartar. To keep things simple, assume that your recipe calls for one tablespoon of baking powder.
Making enough baking powder for your recipe will require you to mix one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of cream of tartar. You can then use the baking powder that you created to make your recipe.
If you’d like to make baking powder and store it for later use, then you’ll need to add a step. It’ll be necessary to add one teaspoon of cornstarch to the mix so that it will keep.
Homemade Baking Powder Is Not Double-Acting
You might have noticed when you buy baking powder at the store, it notes that it’s “double-acting.” The homemade baking powder that you learned how to make above is not double-acting.
As soon as the baking powder gets wet, it’s going to react. That means that you need to work fast so that everything will turn out as intended.
When using store-bought baking powder, you can allow batter to sit around for a little while if you need to. You won’t have this luxury if you’re using the homemade baking powder mentioned above.
It’ll be necessary to act fast because the batter won’t bake properly if you don’t. Allowing the batter to sit on the counter for too many minutes will negate all of your hard work.
So remember to try to work expediently once you’ve mixed up the batter. Try to get it ready and put it into the oven to start baking as soon as you’re able to.
One handy tip is to preheat the oven ahead of time to avoid issues. You should start preheating the oven before you even mix the batter up.
This ensures that you won’t have to wait too long for the oven to be ready. It’s not too complicated, but it’s still something that you’ll want to know ahead of time to avoid making mistakes.
Final Thoughts
Baking should be a good experience whether you have baking powder to use or not. You can replace the baking powder using baking soda if you’d like to.
It’s just necessary to add acidic ingredients to the mix to get things to turn out right. Also, you have to use less baking soda than you would baking powder.
Since baking soda is three times stronger than baking powder, it’ll be necessary to do the math properly. When a recipe calls for one tablespoon of baking powder, you’ll wind up using one teaspoon of baking soda.
It’s easy enough to remember, but you’ll also have to remember to add two teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice if you’re using one teaspoon of baking soda.
For some, it might be easier to make homemade baking powder. You can do this by mixing one part baking soda and two parts cream of tartar.
Remember that homemade baking powder isn’t double-acting. This means that you can’t let the batter sit too long or it won’t bake properly.
You’ve learned all that you need to know. Now it’s time to go and bake your delicious dessert so that you and your family can enjoy it.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.