Test Kitchen tips: Testing baking soda and powder for freshness

Baking soda and baking powder are only as good as their freshness when it comes to baking in the kitchen. Used to leaven everything from cakes and biscuits to doughnuts and waffles (like Jackie Kennedy's waffle recipe, which can be found below), they're the ingredients that help a dough rise as it bakes. And like any ingredient, they can lose their effectiveness as they age, and there's nothing worse than having a cake fail because the ingredients weren't any good.

By Noelle Carter

February 4, 2013