Baking Soda and Vinegar Substitute for Baking Powder Guide
For every 1 teaspoon of baking powder, use ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon vinegar. Whisk the soda into the dry ingredients, add the vinegar to the wet ingredients, combine at the last moment and bake straight away. It works well in pancakes, muffins, quick breads and chocolate cakes, but not in delicate sponges.
Conversion chart
| Baking powder in recipe | Baking soda | White or cider vinegar |
|---|---|---|
| ½ tsp | ⅛ tsp | ¼ tsp |
| 1 tsp | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp |
| 2 tsp | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| 1 tbsp (3 tsp) | ¾ tsp | 1½ tsp |
Lemon juice works in exactly the same amounts as vinegar.
Why the swap works
Baking powder is baking soda plus a dry acid. By adding the acid yourself, in the form of vinegar, you rebuild the same reaction: soda + acid = carbon dioxide bubbles. Baking soda is about three times stronger than baking powder, which is why you need only a quarter of the amount.
The one big difference is timing. Most supermarket baking powder is double-acting: it releases some gas when wet and the rest in the oven. Soda and vinegar release almost all their gas the moment they meet. So the batter has to go into the heat quickly.
How to do it
- Heat the oven and grease the tins before you start mixing.
- Whisk the baking soda into the flour and other dry ingredients.
- Stir the vinegar into the milk, eggs and other wet ingredients.
- Combine the two, mix just until no dry flour shows, and get it into the oven within a few minutes.
Never stir baking soda and vinegar together in a cup first. They foam up and the gas escapes into the air, not into your cake.
Where it works and where it does not
| Good results | Use real baking powder instead |
|---|---|
| Pancakes and waffles (batter goes straight to the pan) | Light vanilla sponges and layer cakes |
| Muffins and quick breads | Batter or dough that rests or chills before baking |
| Chocolate, spice and banana cakes, where strong flavors hide any tang | Scones and biscuits that are cut, shaped and then baked |
| Recipes already using buttermilk or yogurt (you may need no vinegar at all) | Big batches baked in several rounds |
If the recipe already has an acid
Buttermilk, yogurt, soured cream, lemon juice, honey and natural cocoa all count as acids. If your recipe already includes one of these, start with just the baking soda (¼ tsp per 1 tsp baking powder) and leave out the vinegar. Adding more acid on top can make the crumb gummy and sour.
A recipe built on this reaction: “wacky” cake
Wacky cake, also called depression cake, uses no eggs, butter or milk. It shows how well soda and vinegar work together. For an 8-inch (20 cm) square tin, whisk 190 g (1½ cups) plain flour, 200 g (1 cup) sugar, 25 g (¼ cup) cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt. Add 240 ml (1 cup) water, 80 ml (⅓ cup) oil, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp vanilla, and stir until smooth. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. There is no tang. The vinegar simply powers the rise.
Troubleshooting
- Flat or dense: the batter sat too long, the baking soda is old, or the batter was overmixed. Test your soda first (see does baking soda expire).
- Soapy or metallic taste: too much baking soda for the amount of acid. Measure level spoons.
- Sour taste: too much vinegar, or vinegar added to a recipe that already had buttermilk.
- Coarse holes: too much soda. Do not round up “to be safe”.
Other options are in cream of tartar as a baking powder substitute and bread soda vs baking powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon vinegar.
No, not at the amounts given here. The vinegar is neutralised by the baking soda during the reaction.
Yes. White, cider and rice vinegar, as well as lemon juice, all work. Avoid balsamic and malt vinegar in light-colored bakes.
No. The reaction happens straight away, so bake within a few minutes of mixing.