Recommended brown sugar substitutes: 1 cup (198g) white granulated sugar plus 2 teaspoons (14g) molasses (by weight or volume) muscovado sugar (by weight) for more options, see our post: What can I substitute for brown sugar? As a result, brown sugar is typically used in recipes to provide both more flavor and a softer texture, like in these Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. The inclusion of molasses gives brown sugar its toasty color, additional depth of flavor, slight acidity ( important for leaveners!), and moisture. The latter has slightly more molasses and as a result will provide more flavor and darker color, but for the most part they can be used interchangeably in baked goods. You’ll typically find two types of brown sugar: light brown and dark brown. Recipes: Sugar Cookies Classic Yellow Cake with Fudge Frostingīrown sugar: Perhaps the second-most common sugar in baking, brown sugar is basically granulated sugar with a small amount of molasses added. Recommended granulated sugar substitutes: superfine sugar (by weight) If you only stock one sugar, this is the best choice.
It’s neutral in flavor and has medium-sized, uniform crystals that are small enough to dissolve into batters and large enough to create air pockets when creamed with butter. Granulated sugar: Derived from either sugarcane or sugar beets, this is the most commonly used sugar in baking, and for good reason. There’s a reason every baker’s pantry has a stash of granulated sugar. One note: We’re not talking about liquid sugars today that’s a whole different topic! Read on for a description of each sugar, the best recipes to make with them, and the best substitutions. Lastly, there are finishing sugars: They don’t go into a batter or dough but instead are used to garnish baked goods for an elegant appearance, pleasing texture, or both. Specialty sugars are less common but can contribute flavor and/or texture in a way that favorites like granulated or brown sugar can’t. We like to think of sugar in three categories: everyday sugars, specialty sugars, and finishing sugars.Įveryday sugars are self-explanatory - they’re the ones we most frequently pull out of our pantries to bake with. And in yeast baking, sugar provides food for the yeast organisms, speeding up fermentation, though too much - generally, more than 1/4 cup per 3 cups of flour - actually slows yeast down. When it’s creamed with butter, meanwhile, it helps lighten and leaven a baked good: As the two are beaten together, the hard sugar crystals create pockets of air in the solid butter, and those air pockets translate to a lighter cake. When whipped together, sugar dissolves in the water from eggs to form a viscous liquid that helps stabilize the structure of whipped egg whites, helping them trap air bubbles. Sugar is key to stabilizing whipped eggs or egg whites for recipes like meringue cookies and sponge cakes, which rely on them for leavening and structure. Also of note: Sugar tenderizes baked goods because it interferes with the coagulation of proteins, including the gluten network.īut there’s even more that sugar can do, depending on how it’s used in a recipe.
This attribute can be a good thing - it helps baked goods retain moisture - or a bad one - a frosted cake may become dry quickly because all the sugar in the frosting pulls moisture from the cake layers. In addition, sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water. This browning and caramelization add flavor think of dark crispy bread crusts or amber-colored caramel, for instance. As it’s heated, the sugar caramelizes and plays a role in the Maillard reaction - that’s why some pie crusts, for instance, will include a small amount of sugar. Sugar is also a flavor enhancer that, like salt, can elevate or complement other flavors, like cutting the bitterness of cocoa powder in a chocolate cake. The first, and most obvious: It sweetens baked goods. Sugar is essential for creaming with butter. Photography by Mark Weinberg food styling by Liz Neily
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