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Aug 17, 2023 · You have both baking soda and baking powder in your pantry—but what is the difference between these two baking leaveners? Here, experts explain what sets these two baking essentials apart and share how to substitute one for the other in recipes.
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Oct 31, 2023 · The main difference between baking soda and baking powder is their acid component. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, whereas baking powder is made of sodium bicarbonate, acid (cream of tartar), and cornstarch.
Dec 25, 2023 · While baking soda reacts with moisture and acidity, baking powder reacts with heat (that means it works during the baking process rather than the mixing portion of your recipe). It already contains acid in the cream of tartar, so it’s typically used in recipes that don’t contain acid.
- Overview
- What is baking soda?
- What is baking powder?
- When to use which one
- Substituting in recipes
- The bottom line
Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents, which are substances used to help baked goods rise. Baking powder contains baking soda, along with other ingredients.
Experienced and amateur bakers alike often confuse them due to their similar names and appearances.
Baking soda is a leavening agent used in baked goods like cakes, muffins, and cookies.
Formally known as sodium bicarbonate, it’s a white crystalline powder that is naturally alkaline, or basic (1).
Baking soda becomes activated when it’s combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid. Upon activation, carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked goods to rise and become light and fluffy (1).
This is why recipes that include baking soda will also list an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or buttermilk (2, 3).
Summary
Baking soda, chemically known as sodium bicarbonate, is a baking ingredient that’s activated by a liquid and an acid to help with leavening, or rising.
Unlike baking soda, baking powder is a complete leavening agent, meaning it contains both the base (sodium bicarbonate) and acid needed for the product to rise.
Cornstarch is also typically found in baking powder. It’s added as a buffer to prevent the acid and base from activating during storage.
Similarly to how baking soda reacts with water and an acidic ingredient, the acid in baking powder reacts with sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide once it’s combined with a liquid (4).
Single- and double-acting baking powders are available, though single-acting varieties are typically only used by food manufacturers and not usually available for household use (5).
When a recipe calls for baking powder, it’s most likely referring to the double-acting kind.
This means the powder creates two separate reactions: initially, when combined with liquid at room temperature, and secondly, once the mixture is heated.
Baking soda is used in recipes that also include an acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, buttermilk, or citrus juice.
Conversely, baking powder is typically used when the recipe doesn’t feature an acidic ingredient, as the powder already includes the acid needed to produce carbon dioxide.
Baked good mixtures can vary greatly in their acidity level. To produce a desirable baked good, you need to find the right balance between acid and base.
Some recipes may call for both baking soda and baking powder.
Typically this is because the recipe contains an acid that needs to be offset by the baking soda but may not be enough to completely leaven the product.
Summary
Substituting baking powder for baking soda
Though substituting baking powder for baking soda isn’t widely recommended, you may be able to make it work in a pinch. Swapping baking powder for baking soda won’t require additional ingredients. However, baking soda is much stronger than baking powder. Thus, you likely need around 3 times as much powder as you would soda to create the same rising ability. Also, this substitution may cause your final product to have a chemical or bitter taste. Alternatively, you could try one of several other substitutes for baking soda.
Substituting baking soda for baking powder
If your recipe calls for baking powder and all you have at hand is baking soda, you may be able to substitute, but you need to include additional ingredients. Because baking soda is lacking the acid that baking powder would normally add to the recipe, you have to make sure to add an acidic ingredient, such as cream of tartar, to activate the baking soda. What’s more, baking soda has much stronger leavening power than baking powder. As a rule of thumb, about 1 teaspoon of baking powder is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Summary While interchanging baking powder and baking soda in recipes isn’t as simple as a 1:1 substitution, it can work with certain modifications to your recipe.
Many baked-good recipes include baking soda or baking powder as a leavening agent. Some may even include both.
While both products appear similar, they’re certainly not the same.
Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which requires an acid and a liquid to become activated and help baked goods rise.
Conversely, baking powder includes sodium bicarbonate, as well as an acid. It only needs a liquid to become activated.
- Kaitlyn Berkheiser
Sep 10, 2021 · Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it’s important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda.
- Justine Lee
Aug 21, 2024 · Baking soda and baking powder may look and sound the same, but they certainly aren’t. They’re both leavening agents used to help baked goods rise, but interchanging them could lead to very different results—all because of science!
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Oct 17, 2024 · Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable. When baking, be careful about substituting one liquid for another (i.e. milk vs. buttermilk). When a recipe calls for milk, buttermilk is not an appropriate substitute because the two react differently with the leavening agents called for.
