Baking Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient Substitution Table for Baking

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com Guide

Do you need to replace one ingredient with another in a recipe? This is a table of ingredient substitutions that you can make when baking. Changing the ingredient may affect the taste and texture of your recipe slightly, but this list should help prevent major differences.

ammonium bicarbonate - 3/4 teaspoon
1 tsp baking soda

baking powder (single-acting) - 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

baking powder (double-acting) - 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch. Use 1 tsp for every 1 cup of flour.

baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder (replace the acidic liquid in recipe with non-acidic liquid)

baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon potassium bicarbonate

buttermilk - 1 cup (240 ml)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup (240 ml) (let mixture stand 5-10 minutes)
more buttermilk recipes

cake flour - 1 cup (130 grams)
3/4 cup (105 grams) all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch

cake flour - 1/3 cup
1/3 cup all-purpose flour less 1/2 teaspoon

chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet) - 1 ounce (30 grams)
1/2 ounce (15 grams) unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar

chocolate (unsweetened) - 1 ounce (30 grams)
3 tablespoons (20 grams) natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) plus 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter, shortening, or vegetable oil

cocoa powder, Dutch-Processed - 3 tablespoons (20 grams)
1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened chocolate plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. Also reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon.

cocoa powder, natural unsweetened - 1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened chocolate. Also reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon.

coffee, strong - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
2 tablespoons (10 grams) instant coffee in 3 tablespoons hot water

corn syrup, dark - 1 cup (240 ml)
3/4 cup (180 ml) light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup (60 ml) light molasses

corn syrup, light - 1 cup (240 ml)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar (increase the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup or 60 ml)

cornstarch (for thickening) - 1 tablespoon (15 grams)
2 tablespoons (25 grams) all purpose flour

cream of tartar - 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice

cream - half-and-half - 1 cup (240 ml)
7/8 cup (210 ml) whole milk plus 2 tablespoons (25 grams) melted unsalted butter

cream, heavy (not for whipping) - 1 cup (240 ml)
2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk plus 1/3 cup (75 grams) melted unsalted butter

flour, self-rising - 1 cup (140 grams)
1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/4 teaspoon salt

flour, whole wheat - 1 cup (150 grams)
7/8 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoon (6 grams) wheat germ

honey - 1 cup (240 ml)
3/4 cup (180 ml) light or dark corn syrup plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

lard - 1/2 cup (113 grams)
1/2 cup (113 grams) solid vegetable shortening

lard - 1/2 cup (113 grams)
1/2 cup (113 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter

marhsmallow cream - 2.5 ounces
8 large marshmallows or 1 cup miniature marshmallows

milk (sweetened condensed) - 14 ounce can (396 grams)
blend 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar plus 3 tablespoons (35 grams) melted unsalted butter plus 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water

milk (evaporated whole) - 1 cup (240 ml)
1 cup (240 ml) half & half

milk (whole) - 1 cup (240 ml)
1 cup (240 ml) skim milk plus 2 tablespoons (25 grams) melted butter or margarine

molasses - 1 cup (240 ml)
1 cup (240 ml) dark corn syrup

sour cream - 1 cup (225 grams or 8 ounces)
1 cup plain yogurt

sour cream - 1 cup (225 grams or 8 ounces)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus whole milk to fill 1 cup (240 ml)

tapioca, instant or quick-cooking - 1 tablespoon (12 grams)
1-1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) flour

vinegar - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice

yogurt, plain - 1 cup (225 g)
1 cup (225) sour cream

Here's another link about the difference between baking powder and baking soda:  http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm