How to get intended taste using baking powder instead of acid + baking soda?
A coffee cake recipe calls for using sour cream and baking soda. I understand that acid + baking soda is a leavening agent and you can use them as a substitute for baking powder. But I only have baking powder.
If I use baking powder instead, will the taste of the coffee cake be majorly affected? It won't have the sourness of the cream anymore, but how important is that in a coffee cake?
Can I add something else along with the baking powder so I can get something close to the intended original taste?
Best Answer
If you use baking powder instead of baking soda in this recipe, you'll have an excess of acid. That's not too bad (an excess of baking soda gives a soapy, bitter flavour). The effect is likely to be as if your sour cream was slightly more sour. If you wish to tone that effect down you could replace a small amount of your sour cream with cream or even milk.
The rise may be slightly affected but this should be minor; with or without the acid in the baking powder you're limited by the alkaline component. Baking powder is usally double-acting meaning some of the reaction is delayed until it gets hot. Sour cream plus baking soda is likely to start reacting immediately, so substituting the other way would be worse.
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Quick Answer about "How to get intended taste using baking powder instead of acid + baking soda?"
For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder as a replacement. Note that this substitution may result in a slightly saltier and more acidic flavor than the original recipe intended.Will baking powder work like baking soda?
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.Does baking powder needs an acid to activate?
Since baking powder already contains an acid, it is not necessary to mix baking powder with an acidic ingredient in order to activate it.Does baking powder change the taste?
When there is too much baking powder in a dish, it doesn't absorb into the rest of the dish as well as it should. This factor, combined with the strong bitter flavor of baking powder will lead to your entire baked dish tasting too bitter for most people to tolerate.How do you make something taste less like baking soda?
Mix in something acidic Use a small amount of an acidic condiment such as lemon juice or vinegar to neutralise the soda. If the recipe has chocolate, simply add half a teaspoon of cocoa powder to it. Buttermilk can also be used to counter the pungent taste of baking soda.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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