Baking Article

It’s hard to truly understand the importance of baking soda and baking powder — and the difference between the two — until the day you accidentally stumble and add one instead of the other, or forget to add one entirely. If you need visuals, just imagine sunken banana bread, squat scones, and deflated cupcakes. An eerie sight, am I right?Sometimes it can be downright confusing how a mix-up in leavening agents makes or breaks a cake batter or cookie dough. And such ignorance is never bliss, especially when it results in frightening baked goods. So to avoid any baking mishaps, here’s a breakdown of the difference between baking soda and baking powder, what they contribute to baking, and suggestions for substitutions if you find yourself without one.What is baking soda?Let’s quickly return to high school chemistry class. Baking soda (or sodium bicarbonate) is a base compound with a pH level of 8. When it mixes with an acidic solution, it reacts to produce carbon dioxide — a.k.a. the gas required to get that desirable lift in baked treats.As a result, baking soda needs an acidic partner to work its magic; this can be a wet ingredient like sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, or honey, but it could also be a dry ingredient like brown sugar or natural cocoa powder. (Dutch-process won’t contain enough acidity.) Once paired and mixed, baking soda instantly starts to react with that acid. Therefore, with recipes that lean on baking soda, it’s better to get batters and doughs in the oven straightaway so the reaction doesn’t die down before you even start baking.Baking soda creates a less chewy and more tender, airy texture in baked goods. It’s no wonder it’s called for in quick bread recipes to provide shape and soft crumb without having to rise for a long time like traditional yeasted bread. As a leavener, baking soda is more responsible for the outward spread of baked goods. (Remember: soda = spread).What is baking powder?While baking soda needs a co-conspirator, baking powder is a complete mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar, a powdered form of tartaric acid, so it has both the basic and acidic components necessary to produce carbon dioxide. In grocery stores, you’ll often come across “double-acting” baking powder, meaning it reacts twice. The first reaction occurs when you’re mixing batter and the powder dissolves. (Think about how when you let pancake batter rest for around 15 minutes, it thickens and bubbles slightly — this works on the same principle.) The second reaction takes place when the batter hits the heat and begins to bake.Inside any high-rise scone or jumbo muffin is typically a good amount of baking powder. That’s because baking powder adds height, fluff, and lightness. (Remember: powder = puff). Just feast your eyes on the glow-up that 1 tablespoon gives Baking Powder Biscuits. I’m not saying if you skimp on the baking powder, you’ll be left with dense, inedible doorstops, but I’m not not saying that either — there’s a reason the ingredient is in the recipe name.Why do some recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder?If a recipe requires both leavening agents, there’s a good chance there’s acid included in the recipe, yet not enough to trigger a full reaction when combined with just baking soda on its own. In such cases, baking powder comes in as reinforcement to do most of the leavening, while baking soda is there to neutralize the acid (lessening the astringent taste) and contribute some lifting power. Now that’s teamwork!Can you use baking soda instead of baking powder? Or vice versa?You can’t substitute equal amounts of baking soda for baking powder in a recipe, or vice versa. But! There is some wiggle room for substituting.To put it briefly: Don’t substitute these ingredients for each other (or other swaps) if you can help it, but should you be in a pinch (maybe in the middle of mixing your brownie batter when you realize you’re missing baking powder) there are a few options to swap in. Some may be sitting in your kitchen as we speak! It’s important to keep in mind that these ingredients are happy to step in and do a good job, but they won’t perform absolutely the same as the original leavener called for in the recipe.Learn how to create deliciously roasted sesame seeds for your meals by following the step-by-step instructions below.Substitutions for baking sodaBaking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it’s important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.Sub for 1 teaspoon baking soda: 3 teaspoons baking powderSubstitutions for baking powderBaking soda + cream of tartar + cornstarch: You can’t just sub baking soda directly for baking powder, but you can use it alongside other ingredients as a swap. Remember, baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar — which means you can easily make it yourself.Sub for 1 teaspoon baking powder: Combine 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar + 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch.Baker’s ammonia: Baker’s ammonia is a trusty leavener from the 19th century that produces a light, tender crumb similar to what you’d get from baking powder. You can use it 1:1 in place of baking powder. Be aware: It doesn’t smell great, but no need to worry, as the smell totally dissipates by the time baked goods are done.Sub for 1 teaspoon baking powder: 1 teaspoon baker’s ammoniaLemon juice or vinegar: These acids react with baking soda to mimic the power of baking powder.Sub for 1 teaspoon baking powder: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar

Imagine wandering into the kitchen on a chilly weekend morning, craving your favorite cream scones. You’re ready to bake and excited for something warm and sweet. You pull out your go-to recipe, gather your flour and sugar, then open the fridge only to gasp audibly. There’s no heavy cream! Breathe. Your scone dreams aren’t crushed; you don’t need to abandon your beloved recipe. There’s a simple substitution that will allow you to make delightful, ultra-tender scones without cream.Swap butter and milk for heavy cream in any basic scone recipe, so you can always bake these classic treats — no matter what kind of dairy is in your fridge. Cream vs. butter and milkIf you’re a person who faithfully plans baking ahead and always has the necessary ingredients on hand, this substitution is still worth learning. Why? Because there are some key differences between cream scones and butter scones. The ability to convert from one to the other allows you to make a batch with the perfect texture and appearance. We’ll help you decide which kind of scone is just right for your occasion. Cream scones 101Using heavy cream as a base, cream scones can feel like a morning indulgence.Texture: Ultra-tender and cake-like, they’re softer than butter-based scones.Best for: Enjoying as is or with a cup of coffee or tea; can also be dressed up as shortcake and served alongside fruit. Cream scones’ delicate texture is also just right for highlighting flavors like cardamom, cinnamon, espresso powder, and more.Reason to love them: They’re quick and easy to make and don’t require working the fat into the dry ingredients.Butter scones 101Classic and timeless, butter-based scones can be hearty and delightful.Texture: Layered, usually with craggy, crisp edges and sometimes slightly dry (while still pleasant). Overall, butter scones are sturdier than cream scones.Best for: Splitting and topping with jam, butter, or cream. They can hold up to heavy or large mix-ins like chocolate chunks, roughly chopped nuts, or large dried fruit.Reason to love them: They only require ingredients you’re likely to have on hand so you can make them at a moment’s notice.Bottom lineCream scones or butter scones? With our easy substitution, you’ll be able to convert back and forth based on what you’re looking for (or what’s in your fridge at the moment). The substitution ratioAre you ready for the ultimate conversion? Replace 1 cup (227g) of heavy cream or whipping cream with 1/2 cup (113g) of butter and 1/2 cup (113g) of milk. If your recipe doesn’t call for a full cup of heavy cream, scale down the amount of butter and milk that’s used accordingly. This ratio also works if you’d like to go in the other direction: You can replace the butter and milk in your recipe with heavy cream, basically using the same approach. There are just a few key points about converting in each direction that you’ll want to note before diving in. From cream to butter and milkIf you’re starting with a cream scone recipe and want to use butter and milk instead, start by mixing together the dry ingredients. Then cut cold butter into 1/2″ chunks and add it to the dry ingredients. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the largest pieces of butter are slightly smaller than dime-sized. Add the milk to any of the other liquid ingredients called for in the recipe (like eggs or vanilla).Finish the dough by gently folding the wet and dry ingredients together. (A dough scraper is a perfect tool for the job here.) If the dough looks powdery and dry, add additional milk by the tablespoon until it holds together. Working in the cold butter in this fashion will give you a layered, slightly flaky scone. Or melt the butterWhat if you want to recreate something close to those super-tender cream scones you had your heart set on? Simply heat the butter and the milk together until the butter melts, and add them both when your recipe calls for the cream.Testing our Cream Tea SconesWe put the substitution ratio to the test by comparing our classic Cream Tea Scones (left) with a batch converted to butter and milk (right).Side by side, you can see that the cream scones are more cakey and delicate. The butter scones look almost layered and rise just a bit higher, despite the unbaked scones being the same height when they went into the oven.The flavor of the cream scones is just a bit richer than the butter scones. They don’t need any additional butter or garnishes before serving. The butter-based version, on the other hand, welcomes a pat of warm salted butter.