As for Baking Powders there are two types: Single and Double Acting. As their name suggests the “Single” implies that the Baking Powder rises only once (when your cake is baking in the oven) and the “Double” implies that it rises twice (the first time when mixing your ingredients together and the second time as it bakes). A nice quality about Double Acting Baking Soda is you can mix a batter and don’t have to rush to bake it , it can sit out and it won’t have a devastating effect on your results. Matter of fact, you can refrigerate a cake batter overnight and still get a nice rise in your cake when it is baked the next day(this should only be done in case of necessity).
Single Acting Baking Powder is usually made of Sodium Bicarbonate and an acid such as Cream of Tartar, Calcium Acid Phosphate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, or a combination of the three. Double-acting baking powder, is made up of Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Calcium Acid Phosphate, and a drying agent such as Cornstarch(the drying agent is there to prevent a “explosion” effect in the can). Homemade Single Acting Baking Powder can be made by combining 2 parts of cream of tartar with 1 part Baking Soda. Baking Soda and Baking Powder are not interchangeable in recipes. You can in a pinch substitute Baking Powder in place of Baking Soda but you can’t substitute Baking Soda for Baking Powder because it contains no acid. To be on the safe side use what is called for in a recipe.
Baking Powder does have expiration dates - clearly marked on most packages - so check yours. A reliable test can be done by taking 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder and adding it to ½ cup of hot water - if it fizzes go ahead and use it if it doesn’t fizzle make a trip to the grocery store for some fresh stuff.
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