Whats the difference between Baking Soda and Baking Powder?!

Baking powder contains Baking Soda, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent. Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm

Baking soda and baking powder have some similarities, but differences can cause one to make a cake rise, while the other allows the cake to fall flat of expectations. Both baking soda and baking powder contain sodium bicarbonate. Baking powder, however, contains both sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar. This means differences in both taste and results.

Sodium bicarbonate tends to produce carbon dioxide (CO2), when mixed with an acidic substance. This accounts for dough or batter bubbling when sodium bicarbonate in baking soda is added to ingredients like sugar, milk, or shortening. However, baking soda alone tends to become unstable at higher temperatures. So for example, one might see baking soda in recipes for pancakes, or cookies, because these food items don’t require long baking times.

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Baking Soda is one of the ingredients in Baking Powder. The other is Cream of Tartar.

Baking soda is usually used in cookies and anything chocolate.

Baking Powder is used in all other cakes except sponges like Angel Food. It is also sometimes called for in cookies.

Both help baked goods rise! Egg whites are the agent in Angel Food that makes it rise.

Baking powder is just baking soda with corn starch added. Corn starch is a binder and holds things together so they rise better. That's why cookies often call for soda and cakes for powder. The corn starch also acts to dilute the favor of the baking soda so you don't end up with those bitter little clumps of soda if you just dump it into you liquid instead of shifting it into your dry mixture.

Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions....


Hope this helps...

Baking power makes the food rise.