How can we convert baking soda to baking powder? What makes cakes so soft, spongy and fluffy? (2024)

FAQs

How does baking soda powder make the cake soft and spongy? ›

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 makes things 'spread' and baking powder makes things 'puff'. This is handy to know when baking things like these cookies.

Carbon dioxide is released when baking soda is added to cake and this makes the cake to rise making them soft and spongy.

It works by releasing carbon dioxide into a batter through an acid-base reaction, causing the bubble present in that wet mixture to expand and leave the mixture. Complete answer: (a) Baking powder is a mixture of tartaric acid and baking soda.

As soon as pure baking soda is blended with moisture and an acidic ingredient, such as honey, buttermilk, molasses, chocolate, yogurt, sour cream, brown sugar, or cocoa, a chemical reaction occurs that produces bubbles of carbon dioxide. These bubbles are what gives the light texture you want in baking.

Cakes and pastries are fluffy and light in nature due to the presence of baking soda in it. When baking soda is combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid, it becomes activated. Upon activation, Carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked products to rise and become light and fluffy.

However, if you're in a pinch, the substitution is one teaspoon baking soda equals three teaspoons baking powder. Baking soda is also much stronger than baking powder and, by trying to provide enough leavening, you may wind up with an unpleasant metallic, salty taste in the final baked product.

If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes. Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand. Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder.

Answer: Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and tartaric acid. When mixed with water the sodium hydrogen carbonate(baking soda) reacts with tartaric acid, as a result, carbon dioxide gas is liberated. This carbon dioxide is trapped in wet dough and bubbles out slowly making the cake soft and spongy.

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.

What is the pH of baking soda? ›

Baking soda, that is, sodium bicarbonate is a commonly found substance with a pH level of 9. The pH scale ranges from -1 to 15 with lesser number indicating more acidic nature whereas higher number indicating more basicity. Sodium bicarbonate can be said to be basic in nature because of its pH value 9.

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.) Cakes will have a coarse, fragile crumb with a fallen center.

Detailed Solution

Baking soda is basic in nature. In baking, it is used as a chemical leavening agent which produces carbon dioxide in reaction to an acid (like vinegar). Carbon dioxide produces bubbles that help the cake or cookie rise to tender, moist, and fluffy perfection. It is basic or alkaline in nature.

Therefore, a powder added while baking bread and cakes to make them fluffy and soft is baking powder.

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.