Baking powder in UK/Ireland

[rajsuman]

For my husband's upcoming birthday, I thought I'd make this beauty. It calls for double-acting baking powder and I'm not sure what I have is single or double acting. I've googled, but haven't found any relevant info. What I have is this (with English packaging of course) and the ingredients are:

Disodium Diphosphate

Sodium Bicarbonate

Maize starch

As I typed out the ingredients, it occured to me that this is probably single-acting. Is there any way I can use this in the recipe? Can I substitute something else? It's unlikely I'll find double-acting in the supermarket, because this is the only brand I've ever seen.

[binkyboots]

supercook is the one I use, I looked at their website (here) but it doesnt say if it's single or double acting, you could email their customer enquiry centre though.

Edited August 12, 2005 by binkyboots (log)

[Corinna Dunne]

Suman, I just had a look at the recipe, and what strikes me is that it also calls for 1/4 tsp of baking soda. This leads me to think that the double acting baking powder they refer to is actually cream of tarter. The recipe looks for 1/2 tsp, which tallies with the 2 : 1 ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda (which is effectively what baking powder is). The cream of tartar acts as an acid which activates the baking soda, thus giving you a rise. Be sure to get all the lumps out of the baking soda before adding it to the mixture as any lumps will appear as dark flecks when it's baked (although, I don't expect that this would be to noticable in a wonderful, chocolatey cake!).

Cream of tartar is widely available and you will find it in the baking section of any of the stores in Dublin.

[ScorchedPalate]

Suman, I just had a look at the recipe, and what strikes me is that it also calls for 1/4 tsp of baking soda.  This leads me to think that the double acting baking powder they refer to is actually cream of tarter.

Actually, I don't think this is the case.

From this page:

Double-acting baking powders are the most common type of baking powder in US supermarkets. The first "action" refers to the release of gas when the baking soda in the powder reacts with an acidic liquid. DA baking powders contain a dry acid which does not react with the baking soda in the powder until water is added; at that point the baking soda dissolves, the acid dissolves, and the two can now mix and the reaction shown above occurs. The second "action" refers to the release of gas when the batter is heated in the oven or on a griddle. This relies on the presence of the slower acting acid, S.A.S. which only combines with soda when the temperature increases.

My collection includes a number of recipes that call for both baking soda and baking powder. It's a useful combination when you need less acid (less tartar) than the typical baking powder combination. If any of your sugars or ingredients are acidic, you'll often find the recipes call for both. My mom's banana bread is just one example.

Apparently, "Joy of Cooking" has a section on the different types of baking powders, but I don't have my copy here with me.

Edited to add:

Joy of Baking says that "Most baking powder used today is double-acting which means it reacts to liquid and heat and happens in two stages."

Edited August 12, 2005 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[sandra]

Baking powder in the UK is NOT double acting, I usually use double the UK powder fo the US recipes...

[Corinna Dunne]

I think that the baking powder here does effectively have the 'double action' described because without the heat, the cake would not rise. It is not like yeast, which unless it is double action, will not rise fully without proving. However, it does seem that the strength of the baking powder over here may be different. I've just had a look at my tin of baking powder and it recommends 4g per 100g of flour. I'm not sure what this translates to in spoons (which are a different size over here to the US), but in general terms, recipes tend to specify 2tsp per lb(450g) for lightish mixtures and 3 tsp for heavier cakes.

As a rule of thumb, I use 1 tsp of baking soda to 1lb (450g flour). If you have an acid in your mixture/dough - as scorchedpalate mentioned - you can cut back on, or even leave out the cream of tartar (for instance in the case of Irish soda bread which uses buttermilk to activate the baking soda). But some heavier mixtures (like chocolate cake) require more.

And guess what, I've just looked at your recipe again to seek out the acid ingredient, and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar is the last ingredient on the list! So, apologies for confusing the issue over the missing acid ingredient!

So, in conclusion, I think you can take it that the baking powder you have is 'double action', the only issue that remains is the origin of your recipe (is it American?), and whether the baking powder over here is weaker than the US product. Any transatlantic pastry chefs out there?

[rajsuman]

Thanks all of you for your responses. This is the reason I believe what I have is single-acting, i.e., starch+baking soda+ 1 phosphate acid. I've written to Supercook too, but I don't expect them to reply until Monday. I've just browsed through Joy of Cooking(borrowed from the library specifically for this) and it suggests adding 1.5 times phosphate/tartrate baking powder as a substitution for double. So I guess I'm on my way to steamed chocolate nirvana!

P.S. Corinna, while we are on the topic, have you ever found cake flour in Dublin?

[Renee K]

Hi,

I’ve been lurking in the Pastry & Baking forum for a while now, and learning lots and lots from the incredibly talented members here. I’ve been a little shy about participating, but I just came across this thread and realized it was my cake that was being mentioned, so I hope it’s ok for me to chime in with my 2 cents worth.

Rajsuman, ScorchedPalate is right… the baking powder is not cream of tartar. The recipe uses a combination of both baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and double acting baking powder as leaveners. The cream of tartar at the end of the recipe is supposed to help the meringue whip up easier, and can be left out if you so wish.

Here in Singapore we get both single and double acting baking powder. I’ve used the Royal brand of baking powder that you linked to before… and it’s a single acting baking powder. If you can get your hands on any American made baking powder, they should be double acting.

I’m currently using Bob’s Red Mill aluminum-free double acting baking powder. Unfortunately, I’ve thrown away the wrapper and rebottled the powder in an air-tight bottle (due to the humidity here) and won’t be able to tell you the composition of the powder.

Anyway, I think it would be alright to do the cake with single acting baking powder (although I haven’t tried it yet) if that’s all you have on hand. Maybe just mix the flour mixture into the yolk mixture only just before folding in the meringue (rather than letting the baking powder sit and react with the liquids while you whip the egg whites), and then get the cake into the steamer as soon as possible after the mixing.

Hope that helps. Oh, and an early happy birthday to your husband

[jackal10]

Its double acting, sort of. The diphosphate is slow to react until heated, so most of the rise is in the oven, not in the mixing bowl.

[rajsuman]

Yay Renee! Congrats on your first post and welcome! I'm glad my post coaxed you out of your shell. I enjoy your blog immensely and let me tell you, if I were you, I'd be far from shy about posting here, especially with a blog like that. So hope you'll post more often. Thanks for all your advice. I intend to make it tomorrow - can't wait! Thanks also for the wonderful idea of steaming cakes.

[Corinna Dunne]

Thanks all of you for your responses. This is the reason I believe what I have is single-acting, i.e., starch+baking soda+ 1 phosphate acid.

P.S. Corinna, while we are on the topic, have you ever found cake flour in Dublin?

←

Thanks for the interesting link Suman. We have been surviving this side of the Atlantic with just one activating acid... so now I have something more to worry about! And Renee, welcome to the board, and thanks for putting us all straight.

Re cake flour in Dublin, I am afraid I have not cracked the flour thing yet (although to be fair, I haven't really put the work in). A friend of mine in the UK gets hers directly from a miller she knows, but I haven't managed to add one to my repertoire of friends yet! I asked two different commercial bread makers I have met about their flour, and they just bulk buy the standard stuff you see on the shelf. It may be worth asking the people in 'La Maison des Gourmets' in Castle Market (near Cookes Cafe), as they make the best cakes in town (and the only proper brioche), so they probably have a good source in flour. I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

Good luck with the cake (sorry I confused the issue), and happy birthday to your husband!

[jackal10]

The Chemistry of Baking Powder http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/k.../docs/SS08c.pdf

From Heston Blumethal's excellent school series on Kitchen Chemistry for the Royal Society of Chemistry http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/k...istry/index.htm

Ordinary flour (that is flour not labelled Strong) sometimes labelled pastry flour is the equivalent of US cake flour.

[JustKay]

We can get either regular (ROYAL from UK is the brand I use) or double-acting baking powder and I have actually used single acting for recipes calling for double acting with not that much difference in results. I don't even double the amount when using single acting to sub for double acting.

[rajsuman]

Update on the cake: The texture of this cake is really lovely and moist. I did have one problem with it, but that I strongly suspect is my fault not the recipe's. When I inverted the cake, the whole thing just fell out into pieces. I think it was because I used 3/4 tsp baking powder as advised by the Joy of Cooking as a substitute for the double-acting kind. Like JustKay suggested (I only read your post now JK), I think it's advisable to just use the same quantity of baking powder, double-acting or not. I would definitely make this cake again, because it's good, very good. Thanks Renee.

Because my children were looking forward to baking a cake and having Dad cut it, I then made these. I wanted to try the recipe anyway and this seemed to be the perfect excuse.

As you can see, we now have lots of chocolate goodies in the house.So if any of you are thinking of dropping in, do so within the next 24 hours before they're all gone.

Jackal10, thanks for the link - science and cooking are my two most favourite subjects in the world, so when they come together, I'm one happy girl! You mention pastry flour - where do you find it? I presume you're in the UK. Here in Ireland, I haven't seen anything by that name in supermarkets. Most plain and self-raising flours here have a protein content of 10% or more. I sometimes come across flour which is 9%, but nothing lower than that. Doesn't cake flour have around 7% protein?

Corinna, if I come across cake flour, you'll be the first to know. I'm not sure if I'm dedicated enough to drive a long way just for some flour (but then again, I might), but I'll try calling the place you mention. I might even speak to the manager of my local Superquinn.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

[jackal10]

Most flour here, that is not bread flour is all-purpose 9%-10% protein.

Don't think I've seen anything lower. Should work fine.

What may be important is how finely the flour is ground, and that varies from brand to brand.

Edited August 14, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[Renee K]

Thanks rajsuman and Corinna for the warm welcome!

Rajsuman, sorry to hear about the cake. Yeah, I should have mentioned (sorry!), when substituting between single acting and double acting, just use the same amount (as mentioned by JustKay), as changing the amount alters the ratios and yet still doesn't give you the "second leavening" action with the heat... and a lot of the times, you (or at least I can) taste the after taste of the excess baking powder.

BTW, just as a point of interest... American recipes implicitly mean "double acting" when they state "baking powder" because I think that's the main kind that is available in supermarkets, whereas English / British recipes imply "single acting" in theirs. Talk about confusing, eh?