Dr. Oetker

Dr. Oetker is a German family company from Bielefeld, founded on a baking powder recipe in the late nineteenth century and now known in many countries for baking ingredients, cake mixes, desserts and frozen pizza. Its baking aisle products are a regular sight in British supermarkets and Asian grocers alike.

Our Dr. Oetker range covers two areas. Baking powder sits in the baking powder and soda collection, part of our wider baking shelf. The original pudding mixes, in vanilla, chocolate and caramel flavours, are in pudding mix, within the dessert mixes section beside custard, jelly and kheer mixes.

Baking powder is the raising agent for Victoria sponge, cupcakes, muffins, scones and many eggless cakes, and Indian home bakers use it in nankhatai, rava cake and quick naan. Because it already contains an acid, it works without buttermilk or yoghurt. The pudding mixes are cooked with milk and sugar, stirred until thick, then poured into bowls to set as they cool, a dessert ready in minutes that children enjoy plain or topped with fruit. The chocolate pudding can be layered with biscuits as a quick trifle, and the caramel suits a sprinkle of crushed nuts.

Baking powder loses strength after opening, so keep it sealed and test old stock with a spoon in hot water: it should bubble at once. To compare with bicarbonate of soda, see the Borwick's range, and for another classic dessert look at custard powder.