Ingredient Glossary: Baking Powder

Baking powder acts as a leavening agent frequently utilised in the world of baking, particularly in the creation of cakes. Its core components include bicarbonate of soda (an alkali) and cream of tartar (an acid). An additional filler like cornflour or rice flour is often integrated to soak up moisture. The reaction begins once liquid joins the mix, releasing carbon dioxide. This results in bubbles that make the batter rise. Thus, swiftly moving your batter to the oven post-mixing wet and dry ingredients is crucial. Moreover, a blend of plain flour and baking powder produces self-raising flour.

Image Source: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Creating Baking Powder

For a homemade version of baking powder, merge half a teaspoon of cream of tartar with a quarter teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. This concoction equates to one teaspoon of commercial baking powder.

Creating Self-Raising Flour

Mix one teaspoon of baking powder (or its homemade counterpart) with 110g of plain flour to make self-raising flour.

Storing Baking Powder

Always keep it in a sealed container situated in a cool and dry environment.