Hi,

I have read the great stuff on this truly addictive website very often, but never written in the forums till now. As a cake (eating more than baking) enthusiast, I look forward to being a part of this community!

I had a question- why do some recipies ask for adding Baking soda along with Baking powder? What difference does the baking soda make to the cake?

Another thought - My mom once told me that while baking a basic cake, you can weigh the eggs (how many ever you want to have in the cake), and add the same weight of flour, sugar and butter/ oil respectively. I always bake my cakes with this proportion, and they turn out pretty good. I wonder if anyone on the forums would have anything to say to this. any suggestion would be great.

Welcome to CC Nami115!! Cannot offer you advice on the baking soda, just really wanted to say "HI"=) Jen

Welcome to CC ! Sorry I'm no help with your ?'s but I wanted to welcome you

thats interesting about the eggs... i guess you're a scratch baker then! lol. im mostly a doctored mix baker, so can't really answer your question. (but i'll occasionally make a scratch)

welcome to your new addiction!

Also absolutely no help for your questions here! lol that said welcome to CC we are glad to have you. Great people on here with loads of experience, I am a newbie but it is so nice to have somewhere to go for answers, the people here are absolutely invaluable.

~Alicia

here's some baking powder/soda info...

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

Welcome to CC!!! It's always nice to see a new face around here Sorry I can't help you out with your questions but the concept sounds really cool!!

Don't forget to post some pictures of your cakes...
Lazy_Susan

Welcome. Lots of new members joining all the time so you will feel comfortable. I hope you enjoy your time spent here and make some new sugar friends.

Wow!! So many replies! My cakes are nothing to see the pic of, but would definately upload the pic here the day I make something fancy!

Welcome to CC, like the others said, welcome to your new addiction. I know for me I sometimes get more excited about doing cakes to put on here then the actual reasons i bake them for!! Have fun and theres tons of help to be found here!!

Here are some other ratio recipes:

http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/14_9.htm

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-54890-.html

Hi! Welcome to CC!

I think I remember reading once that the "equal ratio" thing for cakes made a pound cake. I don't know for sure, though...

Greetings Nami!! Welcome to CC!! I have scratch cakes which call for just baking powder, and some which call for baking powder and baking soda. Usually I can tell you down to the molecular level what is happening and why, but in this case I cannot. I can, however, tell you the difference I've seen in my cakes using the various ingredients: The cakes using just baking powder do get lighter and fluffier (think of a light, fluffy pancake for example.) They puff up more too. The cakes with both soda and powder aren't as puffy, but they also have more oil in them too (each recipe which calls for both generally have more oil in them.) The combination of both soda and powder does help it to puff slightly, but not a lot and they are not fluffy, but rather dense. It seems to help them maintain a cake-like consistency rather than a dense brownie-like consistency.

Don't know if that helps at all, but those are the differences I've noticed. Now where are those chemistry books...

Welcome to CC!!!!

WELCOME

EDITED to say that when I first wrote this and posted it I put the smiley face with the sad face and then realized what I had done and to repost. Haven't been up long

Just jumping in to say "WELCOME" to CC. A wonderful place to escape to!!

Welcome to CC . I'm glad you're posting in the forums. You're asking some great questions that's helping us to think and wonder and search for answers. You'll be a great asset to the forums.

bobwonderbuns ~ very interesting! Makes me want to go and do a science experiment