If you're out of baking soda, use baking powder instead. Double or triple the amount of baking powder because it contains less baking soda.
Baking powder is made of baking soda plus cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder can be substituted for baking soda by tripling the amount of baking powder. Baking soda can be substituted for baking powder by dividing the amount of baking powder needed by 4 and adding twice that amount of cream of tartar.
Adding in too much baking powder could cause your dessert to rise too fast and fall apart.
If you use baking powder instead of baking soda, add a total of three times the amount of baking powder than the recipe recommends for baking soda to “fix” the mistake. However, keep in mind that adding too much baking powder can cause the baked goods to taste bitter. The batter can also rise too quickly and then fall.
Baking powder on its own doesn't cause as strong a reaction as bicarbonate of soda, so it is recommended that you use around 3x the amount of baking powder when using it to replace bicarbonate of soda (eg. if the recipe calls for 1tsp. bicarbonate of soda, use 3tsp baking powder instead).
Baking soda is a strong leavening agent and it is important to always use the exact amount called for in the recipe. While not enough baking soda will give an inadequate rise and a heavy finished product, adding too much will cause baked goods to fall and leave a metallic, soapy taste behind.
If you have a recipe calling for baking soda, you might be able to substitute baking powder. However, you will need up to 4x as much baking powder to get the same amount of leavening. And, depending on the recipe, you might end up with a baked good that's a little bitter with that much baking powder.
Baking Powder: Baking powder in banana bread gives the loaf its rise and fluffy texture. It's the best replacement for baking soda in banana bread.
In a double action product, such as baking powder, the products reacts once when it is exposed to moisture and then again when exposed to heat.
For any recipe that calls for baking powder, you should use exactly same amount of double-acting baking powder as you would single-acting baking powder. The difference between the two types of powder is their chemical composition.
Baking soda changes the texture of baked goods by causing a batter or dough to spread, while baking powder produces light, fluffy texture. Some recipes may call for baking soda or baking powder on their own, while others may require both ingredients to create the ideal balance for great texture.
Truth is, there's chemistry involved too, and formulas for baked goods are based on specific measurements; so doubling ingredients can disturb this precision and yield a supersized amount of something you can't enjoy (via MyRecipes).
Unlike baking soda, baking powder already contains an acidic ingredient. Because of this, it only requires water to activate. It's important to note that some baking powders are double-acting. This means that they will activate a second time when introduced to heat.
Double-acting baking powders work in two phases; once when cold, and once when hot. For example, Rumford Baking Powder is a double-acting product that contains only monocalcium phosphate as a leavening acid.
The Best Baking Soda Substitute: Baking Powder
Baking powder is, without a doubt, the best baking soda substitute you can find. They're not the same thing (baking soda is about three times stronger), but they are both leavening agents that work in similar ways.
As a general rule, you can use either baking soda OR baking powder in banana bread – both ingredients will make your banana bread rise. While baking soda will react with acidic ingredients in the batter to raise your bread, baking powder can leaven banana bread without the addition of acidic ingredients.
Baking powder is mixed with the flour. When water is added to this flour to make dough, baking powder undergoes a chemical reaction during which carbon dioxide gas is produced. This carbon dioxide gas gets trapped into the dough and bubbles out which causes the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.
Baking soda reacts with acids in a recipe, neutralizing them and, in the process, creating carbon dioxide. Examples of acids include: buttermilk, brown sugar, lemon juice, or yogurt. The bubbles from the carbon dioxide cause the batter to rise. Without baking soda, cookies would be dense pucks and cakes would be flat.
Can I Just Leave Out the Baking Soda? Yes: you can leave out the baking soda in recipes, if you do not have any, BUT only in very simple baked goods such as some cookies and pancakes.
Use of baking soda while baking or making cake, makes the cake taste bitter due to the formation of Sodium carbonate during heating. Hence, to neutralize the formed sodium carbonate and its bitter taste, we use tartaric acid. As an acid tartaric acid neutralizes the base effect of Sodium bicarbonate.
Bicarbonate of soda is it's UK name. The only reason why the product has two names is because here in the UK people prefer the name bicarbonate of soda, and people in the US like to call it baking soda. There isn't actually any difference between baking soda and bicarbonate of soda.
Baking soda and bicarb soda refer to the same thing. Australia, New Zealand and the UK use the term bicarb soda, while the US refers to it as baking soda.
The best baking soda substitute when you need a light scrub is white toothpaste, which usually contains some baking soda anyways. The abrasive crystals in white toothpaste make it a miracle solution for whitening and removing stains from all kinds of materials.