If you’ve ever read a baking recipe, you’ll notice that there are often several types of sugar listed. What are they? How are they different from each other? Do I really have to use those different kinds of sugar?
Let’s discuss.
Granulated (White) Sugar
This is what most of us think about when you hear the word sugar. It’s the white stuff, and it gets that color from the removal of all the molasses from the sugar cane. The sugar crystals don’t generally clump together, or if they do, they are easily broken apart with your fingers.
Brown Sugar
There are various types of brown sugars, and you may see them labeled as such. Most recipes will call for light brown sugar, but some may ask for dark brown sugar. Overall, brown sugar is simply sugar that has not had all of the natural molasses removed. The color comes from how much molasses has been removed – light means more has been removed and dark means less. Due to the inherent moisture level created by leaving in the molasses, this sugar is more likely to both clump and dry out. You also typically measure it by packing it firmly into the measuring cup.
Powdered (Confectioner’s) Sugar
Powdered sugar is essentially very finely ground sugar, making it more of a powdery consistency instead of grains. There are sometimes other additives that help it from clumping, but it’s not uncommon to see it get a bit lumpy. This type of sugar is used a lot in different types of frosting.
Now, with all this said, this is more or less specific to the US. There are other types of sugar in other parts of the world. I also didn’t address sugars that are made from alternate sources than sugar cane, such as palm sugar. There are lots more. However, these are the ones you are most likely to see in the majority of the recipes you make.
Did you know this about the different types of sugars?