Hi, I hope you can help. If I wanted to use powdered sugar instead of granulated in a recipe, nothing complicated (just muffins or a loaf cake), is there a standard substitution formula?

TIA

By W.DeBord on Monday, May 14, 2001 - 08:19 am: Edit

Not that I'm aware of.... why substitute?, it's not worth it...go to the store and get sugar for baking.

By Need to know on Monday, May 14, 2001 - 12:28 pm: Edit

I came here for help and advice. I quote "why substitute?, it's not worth it...go to the store and get sugar for baking."

I have granulated sugar here, but was wondering about confectioner's sugar. Funny, you obviously don't 'think it's worth it', but you thought my question was worth answering, if that can be called an answer.

Will someone else here please answer my question, but without the lip.

Thanks in advance.

By d. on Monday, May 14, 2001 - 03:52 pm: Edit

No need to be so sensitive ---W.deBord is one of the pastry chef that posts here on a regular basis, and she was only trying to be helpful.

To answer your question: using powdered sugar in cakes usually creates a chewier denser crumb. It doesn't have the ability to aerate a cake batter as well as regular sugar, but it still can be used. Just substitute an equal weight of powdered sugar for regular sugar. Just for curiosity, make one cake with powdered sugar and one with regular sugar and decide wich one you like best.

By W.DeBord on Monday, May 14, 2001 - 04:31 pm: Edit

This isn't a answer on demand site. It's for professional chefs if you understand the name of the site. We do help people and my advise was to buy regular sugar, unlike d. I didn't take MY time to give you an explaination because the question sounded lazy to me. You weren't looking for a sub. because you couldn't use sugar or couldn't buy sugar. You wanted an answer that you could have found in most baking books ...which is what I did write. If substitutions in baking recipes were common place recipes wouldn't be required.

Part of being a pastry chef is doing things right and having the right ingredients is number one on the list. Mix it right, bake it right, in the right pan at the right temp..