Double acting baking powder: What it is

Wondering what is double acting baking powder an what’s the difference with regular baking powder? Keep reading!

What’s the difference between regular baking powder and double-acting baking powder? The difference lies in the acids which are present in both products.

Simply put both types of baking powder help your baked goods rise and become fluffier but there are a couple of key differences between them.

Double-acting Baking Powder: What it is

Regular baking powder contains one type of acid, which reacts after some time once mixed with the baking material. On the other hand, double-acting baking powder contains more than 1 type of acid.

To be more precise, it contains two types of acids. Another difference is that these acids have different reaction times.

Since there are two types of acids, it means that the volume added to your baked items will be a lot more than standard baking powder.

Commonly, baking powder is used in baking items that don’t have an acidic element present in them, such as cakes, bread, cookies, etc.

The benefits of double-acting Baking Powder

What’s the point of using a this type of baking powder when one can use the good old-fashioned baking powder instead? That’s a good question, and the answer is given below:

When standard baking powder is added, it starts to react immediately with your baking mixture. Suppose you take too long to prepare the mix once you add the baking powder. In that case, the baking powder will not be able to perform its desired action properly.

On the other hand, the double-acting baking powder works a little differently. The first type of acid present in it reacts immediately once mixed with the liquid preparation. The other type of acid is only activated once the baking mixture is in the oven with appropriate heat. Once a high temperature is reached, the 2nd type of acid becomes activated and starts to do its job as a leavening agent.

As a result, you get baked items fluffier and with more volume than those baked with the good ole’ baking powder.

When to use Double-Acting Baking Powder

If your recipe requires the addition of baking powder, then it implies the double-acting baking powder. On a retail level, it is seldom to find the regular baking powder available for sale. Individuals rarely use the standard baking powder. But it is common among manufacturers who bake items on a large scale.

Even if the recipe explicitly mentions single-acting baking powder, you can use the double-acting powder with no problem whatsoever. Also, it will make your baked items fluffier.

Usually, one cup of flour only needs around one teaspoon of baking powder.

We are talking about a small-sized spoon called the teaspoon, not the big spoon, known as the tablespoon.

So you can use it without problems in any recipe that calls for the use of baking powder, both for cakes and cookies and in batters.

Is double-acting Baking powder safe?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, this baking powder is considered safe for usage in food preparation. So yes, it is safe to use this type of baking powder.