Do you know the Difference between Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda?

Baking soda and baking powder are both chemical leaveners used to make baked goods such as cakes and muffins.

Baking Powder is a mixture of baking soda and an acid, in powdered form, and cornstarch.  There are three general types of baking powder: fast-acting, slow-acting and double-acting, which is most commonly used.

“Fast-acting” baking powder uses only an acid that reacts immediately, while slow-acting contains only the acid that reacts under heat.

“Double-acting” means it begins to rise when wet and rises again when it is exposed to heat.

Baking Soda is rather known as Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate.  This is typically called for when a recipe contains an acid, such as buttermilk or yogurt. When the soda and the acid are combined, it will begin to rise immediately.

In replace of baking powder, baking soda can be added to an equal amount of cornstarch and twice as much cream of tartar.  An example of this is if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking powder, it can be replaced by ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch and ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar.