HELP - bicarb of soda quick question

[migola]

am making bday cake for DH, and recipe (choc cake) says 1tsp baking powder, 1/4 tspn bicarb. I don't have any bicarb so can I get away with just putting 11/4 baking powder??? What exactly does the bicarb do anyway?

I'd say the short answer is to just use 1 1/4 tsp baking powder for your cake, it should be fine.

Baking powder is made partly of bicarb. Bicarb on its own can produce a bitter taste so it's not such a good idea to use it instead of baking powder. But substituting the other way and using all baking powder for your recipe I'm sure would work OK.