Chemical leavener containing baking soda, acid, and starch. Double-acting.
Baking powder is baking soda pre-married to a powdered acid (typically monocalcium phosphate plus sodium aluminum sulfate or cream of tartar), so it generates carbon dioxide the moment liquid hits it and again when heat does. That double-acting chemistry is why batters with no buttermilk, yogurt, or cocoa still rise.
Use 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp baking powder
This is essentially homemade baking powder. Single-acting only.
1 cup = 184g
Reverse the most common baking lookup.
Useful for small-batch adjustments and spoon measures.
Use 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp baking powder for the closest starting point.
| cups | grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cups | 46.0 grams |
| 1/3 cups | 61.0 grams |
| 1/2 cups | 92.0 grams |
| 1 cups | 184 grams |
| 1.50 cups | 276 grams |
| 2 cups | 368 grams |
| 3 cups | 552 grams |
| 4 cups | 736 grams |
Ingredient-specific, density-based conversions for baking
Published values, quoted at the exact measure each source lists. Sources round differently and assume different fill techniques — which is why they rarely agree to the gram.
| Source | Listed measure | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| King Arthur Baking | 1 tsp | 4 g |
CupOrGram standardizes on 184 g per cup (12 g per tablespoon, 4 g per teaspoon) and uses that single value on every page — how we reconcile the sources.
Optional shopping references for bakers who want to compare tools and pantry options related to baking powder.
Essential for cup-to-gram accuracy and repeatable bakes.
Shop scales ↗Useful for quick volume checks before converting to weight.
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This is essentially homemade baking powder. Single-acting only.
This is essentially homemade baking powder. Single-acting only.
The buttermilk supplies the acid. Excellent in pancakes, scones, and quick breads that already have a liquid to swap out.
Lactic acid in buttermilk neutralises the soda to release CO2 — a single-acting reaction, so bake promptly.
The cleanest swap when you have no cream of tartar. The tiny amount of acid is undetectable in the finished bake.
Any food acid triggers the soda; ½ tsp of juice or vinegar roughly matches the acid in ½ tsp cream of tartar.
Adds tenderness and a faint tang. Suits muffins and coffee cakes; awkward in recipes with little liquid to replace.
Yogurt's lactic acid reacts with the soda, and its body adds structure and moisture.
The simplest fix for biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads. Each cup already carries about 1½ tsp baking powder.
The leavener is pre-blended into the flour at roughly the ratio most quick-bread recipes call for.
Only for spice cakes, gingerbread, and dark cookies where molasses flavour belongs.
Molasses is mildly acidic — enough to activate the soda — but it also adds sugar, moisture, and colour.
Works in sponge cakes, soufflés, and pancakes. Not a fix for cookies or dense batters.
Whipped whites trap air that expands in the oven — lift without any chemical reaction.
Cool, dry place. Loses potency after 6-12 months. Test by adding to hot water.
Double-acting: first rise from acid + soda when wet, second rise from heat-activated acid in the oven. Self-contained system (doesn't need recipe acid).
Use 1 teaspoon per cup of cake flour and cream the butter properly. The chemical lift partners with mechanical air from creaming, and skimping on either gives you a flat, tight crumb. Sift the powder with the flour twice so no concentrated pocket creates a brown freckle.
Even with acidic buttermilk doing some lifting, biscuits still want 2 teaspoons baking powder per 2 cups flour for height. The first reaction puffs the dough during cutting and stacking; the second slams the layers open in a 425 degree oven.
Yellow cornmeal is heavy and the batter has almost no gluten to trap gas, so 1.5 teaspoons per cup of total dry is the floor. Skip aluminum brands here — the sweet, eggy batter shows off any metallic note clearly.
Baseline reference: 1 cup baking powder = 184g. In real kitchens, a practical range is usually 173g-195g per cup (6% band).
Why this happens: fine powders and leaveners settle during storage, changing cup density.
Figures use the US cup (236.6 ml).Not directly. Baking soda is roughly four times stronger and needs an acid in the recipe to react, so swapping one-for-one leaves a soapy, alkaline batter that browns too dark and rises only halfway.
It contains two acids that activate at different stages: one dissolves on contact with liquid for an initial puff during mixing, and a heat-triggered acid fires in the oven for the final spring.
Yes, but the second reaction happens earlier and less aggressively, so batters that sit on the counter before baking can deflate. Mix and bake promptly, or expect a slightly denser rise.
1 cup of baking powder weighs 184 grams.
Cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon weights for all ingredients, sourced and cross-checked.