Cream of Tartar???

Have a recipe for a chocolate sponge and am wondering what cream of tarter is? Can I make it without it- recipe requires 1 tsp?

Cream of tartar is an ingredient used in baking powder knad13. You can use baking powder instead.

not sure that I agree with #2 post

here is what I goggled:

Cream of tartar is best known in our kitchens for helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites. It is the acidic ingredient in some brands of baking powder. It is also used to produce a creamier texture in sugary desserts such as candy and frosting, because it inhibits the formation of crystals. It is used commercially in some soft drinks, candies, bakery products, gelatin desserts, and photography products. Cream of tartar can also be used to clean brass and copper cookware.

If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.

Hey thanks a lot for ya help

Cream of tartar adds a lightness to your baking. You can add a small pinch to mashed potato which makes it lovely and fluffy and it will be this in the sponge reacting with the other ingredients to create a nice light and fluffy sponge. I also use it in my pikelets for really light and fluffy ones.