The swap, in the right amount
Pick the ingredient you are out of and how much you need. Get the substitute and the exact quantity to use.
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What you are out of
Use instead
The substitute
300 g
Plain flour, same weight
What to add
4 tsp
Baking powder, 2 tsp per 150 g
The step
Sift together
Weights stay in grams, liquids in millilitres, and eggs by the each. Every swap is a fixed ratio scaled from the amount you need, so double the recipe and the substitute doubles with it.
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Substitutions at a glance
| Missing ingredient | Standard amount | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Self-raising flour | 150 g | 150 g plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder, sift together |
| Plain flour | 150 g | 150 g self-raising flour, omit the recipe's raising agent |
| Buttermilk | 240 ml | 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar, milk to 240 ml, rest 5 to 10 min |
| Whole egg | 1 egg | 60 g applesauce + 1 tsp baking powder, or 1 tbsp flaxseed in 3 tbsp water, or 60 g mashed banana |
| Caster sugar | 100 g | 100 g granulated sugar, blitz 30 seconds to make caster |
| Granulated sugar | 100 g | 100 g caster sugar |
| Butter | 100 g | 75 ml oil, best in melted-butter recipes |
| Oil | 75 ml | 100 g butter, best where the butter is melted |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda, single-acting, so use straight away |
| Golden syrup | 100 g | 100 g honey, honey carries more flavour |
| Double cream | 100 ml | 75 ml whole milk + 25 g butter, will not whip |
Common baking substitutions
Most baking swaps are a fixed ratio. Self-raising flour is plain flour plus 2 tsp baking powder per 150 g. Buttermilk is milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice per 240 ml. One egg is 60 g of applesauce, or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed soaked in 3 tbsp water. Pick what you are missing and this scales the amount to your recipe.
How it works
Every swap is a fixed ratio, scaled to you
A substitution is a set amount of one thing standing in for another, so it scales straight from the quantity your recipe asks for. Enter 300 g of self-raising flour and you get 300 g of plain flour with 4 tsp of baking powder, double the 2 tsp per 150 g. Weights stay in grams, liquids in millilitres, and eggs by the each.
Flour and raising
Self-raising flour is plain flour with baking powder
Self-raising flour is just plain flour with the raising agent already in. Add 2 tsp of baking powder to every 150 g of plain flour and sift them together. It works the other way too: bake with self-raising when a recipe wants plain, and leave out the baking powder or bicarbonate the recipe adds, or it will rise too far and sink.
Liquids and eggs
Buttermilk and eggs are quick to stand in for
For buttermilk, stir 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring jug, top up with milk to 240 ml, and rest it 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens. For one egg, use 60 g of unsweetened applesauce with 1 tsp of baking powder, or 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed soaked in 3 tbsp of water, or 60 g of mashed banana. Applesauce and banana add moisture, flaxseed binds.
Like for like
Some swaps are one to one, with a catch
Caster and granulated sugar trade by weight, so blitz granulated for 30 seconds when a recipe wants the finer caster. Golden syrup swaps for honey gram for gram, though honey carries more flavour. Oil replaces butter at 3 parts oil to 4 parts butter, best in recipes that melt the butter. A milk and butter mix stands in for double cream but will not whip.
FAQ
Common questions
How do I make self-raising flour from plain flour?
Add 2 tsp of baking powder to every 150 g of plain flour and sift them together so the raising agent is evenly through. For 300 g that is 4 tsp, for 450 g it is 6 tsp. Whisk it through if you have no sieve.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Stir 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar into a jug, top up with milk to 240 ml, and leave it 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens and looks slightly curdled. That is one cup of buttermilk. Scale the acid at 1 tbsp per 240 ml.
How do I replace an egg in a cake?
For one egg, use 60 g of unsweetened applesauce with 1 tsp of baking powder, or 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed soaked in 3 tbsp of water for 5 minutes, or 60 g of mashed banana. Applesauce and banana add moisture, flaxseed binds. Multiply by the number of eggs.
Is caster sugar the same as granulated?
They are the same sugar at a different grind, so they swap by weight, one to one. Caster is finer and dissolves faster, which matters in sponges and meringues. Blitz granulated in a processor for 30 seconds to make caster.
What can I use instead of baking powder?
Per 1 tsp of baking powder, mix 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar with 1/4 tsp of bicarbonate of soda. It is single-acting, so get the batter into the oven straight away rather than letting it stand.
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