Question

For making a cake,if we use baking soda instead of baking powder in cake,how will it affect the taste of the cake and why?

How can baking soda be converted to baking powder?What is the role of tartaric acid which is added to baking soda?

Answer 1

1. Both baking powder and baking soda are basically used for the same purpose, which is to make the baked food item spongy and fluffy.
2. While baking soda is simply sodium hydrogen carbonate, baking powder is composed of baking soda, tartaric acid and starch.
3. Tartaric acid is added to neutralize the bitterness produced by the baking powder. Also when baking powder mixes with water, then the sodium hydrogencarbonate reacts with tartaric acid to evolve carbon dioxide gas which gets trapped in the wet dough and bubbles out slowly making the cake to rise and hence 'soft and spongy' thus endowing them with a light, fluffy texture. The equation which takes place can be shown as:

NaHCO ₃ + H ⁺ →Na ⁺ + CO ₂ + H ₂ O

4. Thus, the cake prepared by using only baking soda would taste bitter and would not be as spongy as the one prepared by using baking soda. Also because in baking soda, the starch absorbs the moisture, hence the cake prepared using baking powder can be stored for a longer time without getting spoiled.