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Baking Powder and Bitter Taste
Posted January 20, 2007 – 10:52 pm by Yakov Shafranovich in PersonalThis past Friday I ended up baking a small cherry cake for our family. The recipe was very simple – it only had 5 ingriedents: flour, baking powder, eggs, oil and pie filling. Unfortunatly, after the cake was baked, it turned out that it tasted very bitter to me. My wife on the other hand, did not taste anything unusual. To add more to this mystery, I have been tasting a bit of bitterness in some baked goods at my home for quite some time. My first thought was an egg substitute but after some research, it was something entirely different.
It turns out that the blame is on the baking powder. There are two reasons why baking powder can cause something to taste bitter:
1. Some people are sensitive to a specific type of baking powder. It turns out that there are TWO types of baking powder – one containing a salt called “sodium aluminum sulfate”, and others that don’t. This particular salt is bitter according to this page and this page. Wikipedia seems to imply that some people are more sensitive to its taste than others. While there has been healthy concerns, it does not look like they were confirmed.
2. Using too much baking powder causes bitterness. According to this page at Joys Of Baking, too much baking powder can cause bitter taste. The normal proportion is about 1 to 2 teaspoons per 1 cup of flour. This recipe had a mistake – 2 TABLESPOONS instead of 2 tea spoon.
While I was researching this, it turns out that for the past year we used to use non-aluminum baking powder made by Rumford. However, recently we ran out, and when I went to check the cupboard, it turns out that we switched to a different brand made by Clabber Girl which contans aluminum.
If you feel particularly lazy to go shopping, Amazon sells Rumford baking powder online with free shipping right here.
P.S. The only reason why I am bothering to post this is because it took me more than 20 minutes of Googling to find the right answer. I am hoping that my post will help others find the answer quicker.
Tags: baking, baking powder, food, health —
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32 Responses to “Baking Powder and Bitter Taste”
I know this sounds nerdy haha, but it really helped. I never cook with baking powder but recently I made a sponge, and it tasted so bitter. I’m so relieved to know it’s not me haha.
By little.birdy on Oct 20, 2008
I recently switched brands. This must be the cause of the bitterness to taste…thank you for posting.
By Jana on Mar 15, 2009
Wow. I just made banana bread and used baking powder for the first time (usually I stick with soda because I am leery of additives). Its quite unfortunate that the only time my banana bread tastes otherwise excellent, the ridiculous bitter aftertaste of this baking powder is partially ruining it for me! Thanks for posting this. I was analyzing each and every component and it was very vexing to not know where that bitterness came from! This baking powder goes in the trash today. Ugh.
By Tinypliny on Jun 20, 2009
I have tasted a bitter taste in homemade muffins, pancakes and waffles since I was a kid. No one else in my family (wife and two kids) tastes the bitter taste. After a little on-line research, we decided to switch from a sodium aluminum sulfate baking powder (Clabber , walmart brand) to a monocalcium phosphate baking powder (Rumford). The change was amazing to me, the rest of the family couldn’t tell a difference. I finally know why they like waffles and pancakes so much.
By Mark on Aug 30, 2009
thamks so much for this post! i made gorgeous scones with dried cantaloupe and a rum glaze for a tea gathering–and was disgusted to find that “ridiculous bitter aftertaste” in a recipe i’ve used 10+ years successfully. my bulk store must’ve switched suppliers. they surely will hear about it!
By jael on Oct 18, 2009
Not to sound overly dramatic (although I know it will), but this post didn’t just save me some unnecessary Google time, it may have changed my life. I had no idea that other people could not taste baking powder. I have avoided baked goods for years and thought I was just picky or crazy. I couldn’t imagine that other people simply did not taste that overwhelming horrible flavor — they must taste it and not mind it, making me the weird one. All that said, we’ve only ever had Clabber Girl baking powder — it’s what I grew up with and what I have bought out of habit. I wouldn’t know how the other kind is because I’ve never tried it. Guess what’s going on the grocery list!
By Kate on Dec 4, 2009
I get that same bitter taste using a baking mix or corn bread mix and was told it was the baking soda, not baking powder. After checking ingredients on the box, the mix had baking soda. But it was an old mix, could that be the problem? If not, what can I do to make the mix not taste bitter? Add flour or more liquid?
By Damsel on Dec 23, 2009
I too was so furious because my cake came out bitter recently. Thank you for your thoughtfulness posting this post for others. I personally appreciated your information.
TF
By TF on Mar 15, 2010
Brilliant, was wondering why my freshly baked scones suddenly taste like deodorant.
By Eric on Apr 27, 2010
Thanks for the info!
My cake too turned bitter a couple of times and i was trying to figure out why…
By Sum on Jul 26, 2010
Excellent post! Thank you for sharing this piece of valuable info.
By Ju (The Little Teochew) on Aug 28, 2010
Now I know why my banana bread had bitter taste.But my husband didn’t taste anything.Thanks a lot!
By eng on Oct 26, 2010
I am sensitive to baking powder for two reasons-the bitter taste and recently discovered I am allergic to sulfur and its various compounds. Thanks for the info…bye bye Kroger brand baking soda!
By Lee on Nov 5, 2010
Hi, Thanks so much for the article, the baking powder which I used 1 tsp per 140gms of flour or 1 cup of flour still truned out to be a bit bitter for me. Although my husband has not complained yet!
the baking powder which I used contains: sodium dihydrogen diphosphate & sodium hydrogen carbonate, rice flour. You can see that it does not contain any aluminium.
I am not sure what is going on….
Thanks
S
By SK on Jan 27, 2011
VERY helpful! it was starting to drive me crazy.
By sharon on Feb 10, 2011
Thanks for sharing this. Does anyone know if the older it gets it tastes more bitter? Going to buy new baking powder tomorrow.
By JJ on Mar 16, 2011
thanks..i made blueberry streussel so many times that i could not figure out why this time its has a salty bitter taste..I tasted each ingredients and found out that it was the baking powder. the baking powder went to the trash..now i wonder if I should just go ahead and eat the streussel or throw it away too? (for health concerns)..
By gin on Mar 23, 2011
I have always avoided using baking powder because of the bitter taste. You can substitute baking soda for baking powder in most recipes by following these rules:
1) Use half as much baking soda as baking powder called for in the recipe.
2) Use something acidic. If there is fruit juice or applesauce in the recipe, that qualifies as something acidic. You can substitute yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk for milk. If the recipe calls for milk, use sour milk: for each cup of milk in the recipe, put two teaspoons lemon juice in a measuring cup, then fill to the one cup mark.
By Karen on Apr 11, 2011
I worked so hard yesterday to make Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes, like the ones from iHop. After measuring, mixing and griddling I took a few bites and threw the whole batch in the trash. I also threw away my baking powder. I have had a problem with a metallic taste of baked goods made with baking powder before. I have always used Rumford Aluminum-free, but it still tasted awful. For years I avoided baking powder by using the baking soda-cream of tarter mix. Although I just purchased a new aluminum-free baking powder by Argo I think I’ll avoid using it in my pancakes next time. Does anyone know if baking powder should be refrigerated?
By Sandy on Apr 11, 2011
Thank you thank you thank you!! I have been wondering for 6-8 months now what is wrong with my biscuits and now I finally have the answer! I made blueberry cobbler tonight with AP flour and baking powder/salt because I was out of SR flour. I was so disappointed when it came out all bitter. Like I said, my biscuits for the past several months have been bitter too, but I just thought it was something weird with either the milk or the shortening or whatever (i’ve been experimenting with different ingredients, so I never knew for sure what it was) – I ended up chalking it up to having given birth almost 10 months ago and my taste buds changing. Nope, it was the baking powder!! I used to use Rumford (for no particular reason, it’s just what I always bought), but this past time I bought the store brand – I’ll never do that again! Thanks again!!
By Amy on Jun 10, 2011
Thank you! Your information was a big help to me in figuring out why a pancake recipe had tasted bitter!
By Linda on Jun 28, 2011
Wow, this was such a revelation to me! I love to bake and don’t usually use baking soda but I have baked a couple things lately and hated them while everyone else loved them. So I googled bitter taste in baking and this was the first thing that popped up. I thought it might have been the baking soda. Sure enough;)
By Alyssa on Aug 3, 2011
Thanks for the tip…I kept making homemade pancakes and kept getting the response that they tasted “bitter” from my husband and “yucky” from my daughter but okay from myself. Within there were bites that were fine but other bites that were bitter. Now |I know to look for a different baking powder and less…the recipe called for 3 1/2 tsp…when it probably should have been 1 1/2 – 2. thanks!
By Mindy on Sep 5, 2011
Awesome. I’ve never made bread before. Just made beer bread & I could taste the metallic after-taste in the bread I made, but my daughter couldn’t. Had a feeling it was the baking powder being old- but I wasn’t sure.
So glad to know I can fix this by buying different baking powder with no aluminum! Thank You!
By Nintendoll on Sep 22, 2011
I tried several times to make cheese scones, each time it came out better and flufflier but the same nasty taste. I used baking soda and gosh the scent and taste is awful i cant even eat the scones i made. I followed every instructions on the recipe and i have tried baking other snacks before but used baking powder not i am trying scones for the first time and using baking soda for the first time but just cant stomach to eat this crap. Is it the baking soda
By maria on Sep 26, 2011
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for posting this! I just made pancake this morning and it tasted so bitter I thought maybe my non-stick pan was leaking some sort of toxic! I used a non-aluminum baking powder but it did call for one tablespoon for one cup of flour. I am going to reduce the baking powder by half and hopefully it won’t taste bitter again.
I am so glad that it’s just the baking powder because my husband insisted it was a bit odd but he ate the whole thing…..
By Meige on Oct 9, 2011
After I left my comment, I double-checked my baking powder and realized I mistaken baking soda as baking powder this morning (the Trader Joe one looks very similar to the Rumford one)….now we know too much baking soda creates the bitter taste too!
By Meige on Oct 9, 2011
i jumped right into preparing cupcakes,with so much excitements.after it was done,i couldnt wait to take a bite and to my great disappointment,it was freaking BITTER…like,i am starring at the 10 of them not knowing how to destroy what i created with so much passion.this sucks…
By chioma on Nov 20, 2011
Thank you for this! I switched brands and noticed a bitter taste in a couple of recipes. I just figured the recipe was wrong and I used too much. But the last recipe only had 1/2 tsp, and it was still bitter. I just checked…sure enough, it has the sodium aluminum. My mom always used Rumford and so did I. I don’t know why I bought this different brand. I’ll be switching back immediately.
I’m glad your post came up in my Google search!
By Valerie on Nov 28, 2011
I discovered the same thing with Clabber Girl baking powder – it made everything unbearably bitter. I ended up subbing 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part baking soda for the amount of baking soda in a recipe. Problem solved – almost. It turns out cream of tartar has 500 mg of potassium per teaspoon and my wife is on kidney dialysis and can’t have potassium. I guess I’ll try lemon juice, apple juice or vinegar next time to work against baking soda.
By Vic on Feb 20, 2012
Thank you so much!! I have Clabber Girl baking powder and every time I use it my breads turn out bitter tasting to me!
By Lauren on Apr 10, 2012
A few things that have helped me…I’ve developed a sensitivity to both baking powder (and ive only used Rumford) and baking soda, and have experimented with reducing the amounts called for in recipes rather dramatically. Even the baseline of 1 ts powder to 1 cup flour, or the equivalent (when acid present) 1/4 ts soda to 1 cup flour, is too much for me, so I have halved or just sort of fudged it– and at least in “rustic” sorts of recipes–it’s FINE! Never used to bother me before my 4th pregnancy… Good luck sensitive dessert-lovers everywhere!
By Nika on Apr 16, 2012