Question

If tartaric acid is not added in baking powder, the cake will taste bitter due to the presence of
A. Sodium hydrogen carbonate
B. Carbon carbonate
C. Sodium carbonate
D. All of these

Answer 1

Hint: Tartaric acid is a dicarboxylic natural acid, white crystalline in nature and is found naturally in citric fruits and baking powder is added while baking as it release carbon dioxide which causes fluffiness in our bakery products such as cake, bread.

Complete step by step answer:
We now know that baking powder is a mixture of baking soda (\[NaHC{O_3}\] ) and a mild edible acid i.e, tartaric acid.
\[NaHC{O_3} + {\text{ }}{H^ + }_{(ag)} \to N{a^ + }_{(aq)}\; + {\text{ }}C{O_2} + {\text{ }}{H_2}O\]
Sodium bicarbonate reacts with H+ from tartaric acid-forming Na+ from sodium tartrate salt, Carbon dioxide, and water.
While preparing the cake sodium bicarbonate is added which reacts with tartaric acid and evolves $CO_2$, the $CO_2$ comes out slowly forming bubbles making the cake soft and spongy. When an acid reacts with the base it forms salt and water and such reaction is called neutralization reaction. Here tartaric acid reacts with baking powder (sodium carbonate) which is alkaline in nature and since acid and base react together to form a salt resulting in neutralization reaction thereby making a salt and removing the bitterness in the base.
During baking, baking soda present in baking powder induces a bitter taste and yellow color to bread and cakes, due to its alkaline nature in the aqueous solution. To neutralize bitter taste due to the presence of \[\;N{a_2}C{O_3}\] and to remove yellow color, tartaric acid is used. If tartaric acid is not added the sodium carbonate remains in the cake leading to a bitter taste.

Hence options C is correct.

Note:
Thereby you will always see that baking powder is added while making any bakery product and baking powder will always have tartaric acid as its constituent.