How to bake a cake without baking powder: A simple guide
You start preparing the ingredients for the cake, and suddenly you realize you don't have any baking powder. Who hasn't faced this? There's no need to rush to the store. You can actually replace baking powder quite easily.
We often buy baking powder in advance because it's needed for most baked goods. However, when it runs out, you can easily manage without it. It can be replaced by a product that we almost always have in the fridge.
Why is baking powder so important?
It's thanks to baking powder that cakes rise and achieve the right fluffiness. Its primary function is leavening, which occurs due to a chemical reaction. At first glance, this unassuming powder is usually composed of sodium bicarbonate, tartaric acid, and starch as a carrier substance.
When baking powder is moistened and exposed to heat, it starts to release carbon dioxide. It's the presence of these gas bubbles in the dough that causes it to rise and results in lightness after baking. However, if you run out, don't worry. We'll show you how to replace it.
Check your fridge
Baking soda is the basic substitute for baking powder. However, it will only work when combined with an acid. This could be lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or even plain yogurt or kefir. This last combination ensures the fluffiness and lightness of baked goods, and cakes with such an addition rise nicely. When using it, just remember to reduce the amount of liquids in the recipe so that the batter isn't too thin. For about 125 millilitres (½ cup) of yogurt or kefir, add roughly 2.5 millilitres (½ teaspoon) of baking soda and mix well. This mixture will replace 10 millilitres (2 teaspoons) of baking powder.
