Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Ok…I am not from Europe and not to sound stupid, but what is caster sugar? 🙂
Yvette

CakeFlix Guidance

Can you use caster sugar in tea?

Yes, you can use caster sugar in tea. If you have run out of your usual granulated sugar but have caster sugar in the baking cupboard, it will do the job perfectly well. Its smaller crystals dissolve readily, so give your tea a stir and sweeten it to your taste.

White caster sugar gives the familiar sweetness of white granulated sugar. The main difference is the size of the crystals, rather than a different flavour. There is no need to buy a separate packet just for your drinks.

What is caster sugar?

Caster sugar is sugar with finer crystals than granulated sugar, but it is not powdered like icing sugar. In American recipes, you may see it described as superfine sugar.

It is a familiar ingredient in cakes, biscuits and meringues because its fine grains blend easily into mixtures. When you cream butter and sugar together for a cake, the choice of sugar can affect the texture of the mixture and the finished bake.

For drinks, though, the choice is much simpler. Either white caster sugar or white granulated sugar will sweeten your cup.

Can you put caster sugar in tea with milk?

Yes, you can put caster sugar in tea whether you drink it with milk, without milk or with a slice of lemon. Add a little, stir and taste before adding more.

If you normally measure your sugar by the spoonful, use your usual amount as a starting point. Different crystal sizes can pack differently into a spoon, so tasting is more useful than assuming every spoonful weighs exactly the same.

Can you use caster sugar in coffee?

Caster sugar also works in coffee, including instant coffee, filter coffee and milky drinks. Stir it into the warm drink until dissolved.

For iced coffee or iced tea, allow a little more stirring time. Alternatively, dissolve the sugar in a small amount of hot water first, then add it to your drink.

What about golden caster sugar?

Golden caster sugar can also sweeten tea and coffee, although its flavour may be more noticeable than white caster sugar. If you are choosing between the two for baking, read our guide to what golden caster sugar is and what you can use instead.

For another explanation of the terminology, Nigella’s guide below explains how superfine sugar relates to caster sugar.

Read Nigella’s explanation of caster and superfine sugar.

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Hi Yvetteruiz

Caster sugar is super fine sugar, but not like powdered sugar. The grains are much smaller than the normal granulated type which we use to sweeten tea and coffee. If you can’t find caster sugar you can grind normal sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor to make it finer. It is better to use caster sugar in baking because the fine grains dissolve more quickly during the beating process with butter and eggs. It also allows more air to be trapped in the emulsion which plays an important role in allowing the cake batter to rise. Just google ‘how to make caster sugar’ and you will find lots of information on how to make your own.