Substitution for cream of tartar

Gary says: My wife would like to know what she can use to substitute for Cream of Tartar? She’s making Snickerdoodle cookies–mmmm my favorite!

Baking S.O.S. says: This is a good question! I myself did not know the answer off the top of my head, so I found the following helpful information at What’s Cooking America:

“Normally, when cream of tartar is used in a cookie, it is used together with baking soda. The two of them combined work like double-acting baking powder. When substituting for cream of tartar, you must also substitute for the baking soda. If your recipe calls for baking soda and cream of tartar, omit both and use baking powder instead.

One teaspoon baking powder is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar. If there is additional baking soda that does not fit into the equation, simply add it to the batter.

Remember – When making substitutions in baking, you may end up with a somewhat different product. The taste, moisture content, texture and weight of a product can be affected by changing ingredients.”