At our house I like to bake and Tom likes to make bread so it’s easiest to buy regular flour and add raising agent to it rather than buy self-raising flour. However, because I bake so rarely my baking powder kept going off, losing it’s ability to make things rise.
Here’s what we now do, which is also a super tip for you. Buy a jar of baking soda and one of cream of tarter then when your recipe calls for baking power add half of each as a substitute.
One teaspoon of baking power? That’s 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter.
Your ingredients will always be fresh and your baking will always rise.
[...] one at a time and beat well between each addition. Add in the vanilla, beat. Add in the flour and baking power and stir again. I just really went to town on the mixing (I did it by hand) and the sponge was [...]