If a recipe calls for baking soda can I use baking powder instead?
By Diane C
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I have a basic sugar cookie recipe. For every 2 cups of flour, 1/2 t. baking powder plus 1/4 c. milk is the leavening. The substitution is 1 t. baking soda plus 1/2 c. sour cream (buttermilk, yogurt). Baking soda needs a teeny bit of acid to leaven.
Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste.
You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise.
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