Country preference? Choose the preferred country to view local content and get a better experience.

Genius baking ingredient substitutions to help save the day

We’ve all been there. You’re getting ready to bake a cake and realise you’re out of a key ingredient like eggs or sugar, or they’re past their use-by date. But don’t abandon your recipe just yet. There are plenty of simple swaps you can make to keep things on track, using everyday ingredients from your cupboard.

Some of these substitutions will alter the end result a bit, either in flavour or consistency, but sometimes there will be no noticeable difference. Many of these swaps are also helpful when you’re catering for certain dietary requirements or food allergies, and can often make your bake a little bit healthier, too.

So for when you’re running low on anything from flour or baking powder to buttermilk, here are some of our favourite baking substitutions that may just save the day (and your bake).

/medias/1994x1000IMAGE-1.jpg?context=bWFzdGVyfHJvb3R8MjA4NDE5fGltYWdlL2pwZWd8YUdFM0wyZ3daaTh5T1RrMk9EY3pNall4T0RjNE1pOHhPVGswZURFd01EQkpUVUZIUlMweExtcHdad3w5ZWNkMzJlZjVjNGUxN2QxODU3MzVkMjdkOWM0NzI2NjNhZDgxZGY2Zjc4MjQxZWFhODlkZmQ0OWEzMmQ2OWQw

Dairy substitutes

1584x1200milk_alternatives_357947024.jpg 1584x1200milk_alternatives_357947024.jpg
Dairy products are traditionally used in baking to add moisture and flavour, as well as soften texture. But don’t panic if you haven’t got enough regular milk or butter, or want to make a vegan-friendly version of a classic bake. There are plenty of readily available, store cupboard swaps that can save the day.

Running low on milk? Try your favourite plant-based milk instead, like coconut, soy, almond or rice. Likewise, in place of butter you can use vegetable spreads, Greek yoghurt or coconut oil, while using olive oil gives cakes a wonderfully buttery richness and golden crumb.

If you’re out of sour cream, a straight swap is to use the same quantity of plain yoghurt instead. Plain yoghurt can also be used in place of buttermilk. Another option if your recipe requires buttermilk is to use a mixture of milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. So if you need 1 cup (240ml) of buttermilk, mix a tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to make up the volume of 1 cup.

Looking beyond other oil and fat options, vegetables like grated carrots or courgettes can also be used to help hydrate a mix, as they release their moisture during the baking process.

Why not try making our deliciously moreish vegan banana bread with your stand mixer, which is made using vegetable oil instead of butter.

Substitutos de açúcar

Para além de adicionar doçura, a utilização de açúcar na pastelaria dá textura aos bolos e ajuda a mantê-los húmidos durante mais tempo. No entanto, existem muitos substitutos naturais do açúcar que pode utilizar se não tiver a quantidade suuficiente em casa, ou se quiser apenas reduzir a sua ingestão de açúcar refinado.

Frutas como a banana, o ananás e a manga são todas ricas em açúcar e darão aos seus bolos muita doçura natural, assim como os frutos secos, que também funcionam bem, quer cortados em pequenos pedaços ou transformados em puré. O mel e o xarope de ácer também são óptimas substituições. Da mesma forma, se ficar sem um determinado tipo de açúcar, pode por vezes trocá-lo por outro. Por exemplo, se a receita pedir açúcar refinado, experimente usar açúcar granulado. Basta passá-lo rapidamente no liquidificador para obter um pó mais fino.

Obviamente, a substituição do açúcar refinado por uma substância mais húmida, como um puré, afetará o equilíbrio dos ingredientes, pelo que a obtenção da consistência terá, por vezes, de ser feita por tentativa e erro - mas a prática leva à perfeição!

Substitutos de ovos

Os ovos atuam como um agente aglutinante na pastelaria, mas como qualquer vegan sabe, há muitos outros ingredientes que estão mais do que à altura do trabalho, como a aquafaba (a água escorrida do grão-de-bico enlatado), sementes de linhaça, sementes de chia, puré de banana ou de maçã.

A aquafaba pode ser batida tal como as claras de ovo, o que a torna ideal para utilizar na confeção de merengues ou macarons. Se estiver a substituir os ovos numa receita, 2 colheres de sopa de aquafaba são equivalentes a cerca de uma clara de ovo. Quando a utilizar para fazer merengue, tenha em conta que demorará um pouco mais de tempo a bater até obter picos firmes do que as claras de ovo. Batê-la juntamente com um pouco de creme de tártaro ajudará a acelerar o processo, tal como fazê-lo com a ajuda do seu robot de cozinha.

Esta receita de dacquoise de café vegan utiliza a aquafaba para produzir o mesmo merengue estaladiço e crocante com um centro de marshmallow que se obtém com as claras de ovo, e é uma sobremesa deslumbrante para um jantar de festa.

Flour

Flour gives your baked goods structure, forming gluten when mixed with a liquid like water or milk which then stretches and expands, causing your cakes and bakes to rise. But if your cupboard is bare, or you’re catering for dietary restrictions, there are plenty of flour alternatives that can work just as well, while often bringing something new and unique to your baking, too.

Rich in protein and vitamin E, ground almonds are a favourite in gluten-free baking, and the sweet nutty taste pairs especially well with citrus flavours. The lack of gluten means you won’t get the same rise, but you will get a lovely rich, moist bake.

Polenta is another gluten-free swap for flour, and gives this tasty gluten free cumin and fennel cornbread a lovely golden colour and crumbly texture. For biscuits or dough, try using semolina. If you’re making something quite dense like banana bread or fruit loaf and discover you’re out of flour, try blitzing oats in your food processor to get a coarse flour substitute- it works a treat.

Baking powder and baking soda substitutions

Baking powder and baking soda are both known as leaveners. Like yeast, they cause chemical reactions in batters or doughs, releasing bubbles of carbon dioxide which cause mixtures to rise during baking.

If you’re all out of baking powder, it can be substituted with a mixture of cream of tartar and baking soda. Substitute 1 teaspoon of baking powder with a combination of ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Or you can forget about substituting the baking powder altogether and just use self-raising flour instead of plain flour, as self-raising flour already contains some baking powder.

The most effective substitute for baking soda is baking powder, as although they aren’t the same thing (baking soda is much stronger), they work in a similar way. Work to a ratio of 1:3, so if you need 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder.