Help! will it work without soda?

[Bernaise]

I am starting a cake and realise I am OUT of baking soda. I can't remember, can I just double the baking powder? Can anyone remember why recipes call for both?

The cake is a lemon layer cake....

[coastie]

I think ( and I stress think) that the baking powder needs salt to activate and u should very slightly like a 1/4tsp increase salt in your cake.

Lots of recipes call for both and I've never understood why - I thought they were the same thing with the addition of an ingredient...... I would just use the whole measurement ( soda/powder together)

Edited March 2, 2007 by coastie (log)

[alanamoana]

baking soda is an alkali and needs an acid to neutralize it. the chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide which leavens your baked good (air bubbles). so, since it is a lemon cake, there is probably lemon juice or another acidic ingredient included which would work with the baking soda to leaven your cake.

baking powder contains baking soda and an acid all self contained. but it also contains another acid which reacts with heat so that you get more leavening action. thus the 'double acting' on most baking powders sold today. so one reaction with moisture and another with heat.

from what i know, you can't really sub baking soda with anything. if you have bicarb (in your medicine cabinet) that is neutral tasting, you can probably use that. but i think most bicarbs (alka seltzer and the like) also contain other medicines, so are probably unsuited to baking.

the reason you use both in certain recipes:

1) baking soda to react with acid in the recipe

2) baking soda for immediate reaction when acid and base react

3) baking powder to give your baked good some bench tolerance (so that if it sits on the counter for five minutes before you get it in the oven, it will still rise once the heat of the oven reacts with the second acid)

Edited March 3, 2007 by alanamoana (log)

[coastie]

Is that why buttermilk is used when baking - those recipes seem to just use the B.powder ( the alkali reaction?)

Still don't understand why both are used why not the soda all the time. Time to Break out my copy of On Food and Cooking and go over this again. LOL

Edited March 3, 2007 by coastie (log)

[Bernaise]

Thanks everyone, especially alanmoana. I knew there was more to the story.

So of course the recipe calls for buttermilk which I do have.

I have gone ahead and made the cake and am keeping various body parts crossed.

will report back with results.

[McDuff]

baking soda also promotes browning, which adds flavor due to Maillard reactions. try making gingerbread or honey cake without it and see. it also adds tenderness and promotes spread in cookies.

Edited March 3, 2007 by McDuff (log)

[alanamoana]

baking soda also promotes browning, which adds flavor due to Maillard reactions. try making gingerbread or honey cake without it and see. it also adds tenderness and promotes spread in cookies.

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if you already have it in the form of baking powder, is that enough? excess baking soda (without the acid to neutralize it) will leave a soapy taste and can lead to excess browning, correct? i know that with honeycomb recipes (peanut brittle, etc) that the baking soda aerates the mixture but if you use too much it browns very quickly and leaves a very bitter/soda-y aftertaste...

of course, if you want the flavor of the acid (buttermilk, etc.) then you shouldn't use too much baking soda because it can, during the reaction, neutralize the flavor of the acid as well...leaving you with a bland tasting product.

[Bernaise]

the cakes are in the oven, they seem to be doing well, i think there's too much flour in the recipe-off to check. the first timer went off.

[Bernaise]

Final update:

I ended up using an envelope of Dr. Oetker "baking powder" and 1.5 tsp of regular baking powder.

The cakes turned out fine, light with a small crumb.

I must say though, I used 75% butter and 25% crisco - I find I get more tender cakes this way (but don't tell).

Two batches of lemon curd later and guess what? All egg yolks make it too liquidy but that's another story.