This next trick is pure kitchen magic. You can actually create your own leavening power with an acid. Baking soda needs something acidic to react with, and you’re about to supply that. Grab a lemon or some vinegar.
Here’s the secret formula: mix one teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Use this in place of one teaspoon of baking soda. It fizzes, it bubbles, and it lifts your batter to fluffy heights. Just add it last to your wet ingredients.
Your cake won’t taste like a salad, I promise. The acid neutralizes during baking. You get the lift with zero citrus tang. See? You’re already a food scientist.
Don’t Cry Over Spilled… Buttermilk?
If you have buttermilk or plain yogurt in your fridge, you are golden. These are perfect acids. For every one teaspoon of baking soda, use ½ cup of buttermilk. You’ll need to reduce another liquid in your recipe by that same amount to keep the batter balanced.
It gives your baked goods a ridiculously tender crumb and a hint of tang that makes everything taste like a bakery. Pro tip: Stir in a bit of cream of tartar if you have it (use ½ teaspoon per ¼ teaspoon of baking soda). This is the old-school power move that never fails.
What Can I Use Instead Of Baking Soda For Baking at Nicole Haycraft blog
