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Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent, a mixture of a carbonate or bicarbonate and a weak acid. The base and acid are prevented from reacting prematurely by the inclusion of a buffer such as cornstarch. Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods.
Much of the time, a recipe will provide certain cues and reminders of the places where these details of ingredient chemistry really matter, like when a recipe calls for a select number of "large ...
Since chemical expertise is required to create a functional chemical leaven without producing off-flavors from the chemical precursors involved, such substances are often mixed into premeasured combinations for maximum results. These are generally referred to as baking powders. Sour milk and carbonates were used in the 1800s.
Baking a basic yellow cake. A cake can fail to bake properly, which is called "falling". In a cake that "falls", parts may sink or flatten, because it was baked at a temperature that is too low or too hot, [25] [26] when it has been underbaked [26] and when placed in an oven that is too hot at the beginning of the baking process. [27]
A dash of baking soda increases the Maillard reaction (a.k.a. the chemical process that creates a golden exterior) in recipes like zucchini bread and sugar cookies.
The invention of baking powder and other chemical leavening agents during the 19th century substantially increased the flexibility of this traditional pound cake by introducing the possibility of creating lighter, fluffier cakes using these traditional combinations of ingredients, and it is this transformation that brought about the modern butter cake.
Baking has opened up doors to businesses such as cake shops and factories where the baking process is done with larger amounts in large, open furnaces. [citation needed] The aroma and texture of baked goods as they come out of the oven are strongly appealing but is a quality that is quickly lost.
Chiffon cakes (as well as angel food, sponge, and other foam cakes) achieve a fluffy texture by having egg whites beaten separately until stiff and then folded into the cake batter before baking. Its aeration properties rely on both the quality of the meringue and the chemical leaveners such as baking powder.