Cream of tartar
Cream of tartar is a dry acid made from winemaking. It steadies egg whites and stops sugar crystallizing. Here is how to use it and what to use instead.
Also called Potassium bitartrate.
Cream of tartar is a fine white acid powder. It is potassium bitartrate, a by-product of winemaking that forms inside wine barrels. It has no cream in it. Bakers use a little at a time to steady whipped egg whites, keep sugar syrups smooth, and give baking soda an acid to react with.
How to use it
- For meringues, add about ⅛ teaspoon for each egg white.
- For sugar syrups and frostings, a pinch helps stop crystals forming.
- To make baking powder, mix 2 parts cream of tartar with 1 part baking soda and use it right away.
What to use instead
| Recipe says | Use instead |
|---|---|
| ½ tsp, with egg whites | ½ tsp lemon juice or white vinegar |
| ½ tsp with ¼ tsp baking soda | 1 tsp baking powder, and leave out the soda |
In recipes
You will see it in meringues, angel food cake, soufflés and snickerdoodles. Stored dry and sealed, it keeps for years.
Related terms
- Baking powderBaking powder is a mix of baking soda, a dry acid and starch that makes cakes and muffins rise. Here is how much to use and how to test if it is fresh.
- Baking sodaBaking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a strong leavening that needs an acid to work. In the UK it is bicarbonate of soda, in Ireland bread soda.
- MeringueMeringue is egg whites whipped with sugar into a glossy foam, baked crisp or used soft on pies. Here are the French, Swiss and Italian methods and fixes.
- LeaveningLeavening is what makes dough and batter rise, such as yeast, baking soda, baking powder, steam or whipped air. Here is how each works and when to use it.