So, you’re all ready and set to start making the best fudge recipe that you’ve found online or in your newspaper and you’ve got very baking ingredients in your local grocery stores shelves to aid you. But, small problem, you’ve got caster sugar for baking but no granulated sugar in the house, and your recipe states that you must use granulated.
What a disaster! And the shops have shut, what will you do now? Well, not to worry, as we’ve got the answer as to whether or not alternative sugars can be used in your fudge recipe!
Whether you’re introducing yourself to baking, or you’re an experienced baker, these kinds of problems can occur often. Baking is a wonderful activity that has rewarding results, but the bit in between can be messy, visually and mentally when disasters happen. That’s why we’ve got answers to guide you back in the right direction when you hit a wall.
Why Is Granulated Sugar Used In Fudge Recipes?
The reason why granulated sugar is used instead of caster sugar in fudge recipes is that caster sugar tends to be more expensive because more is needed, however you can use caster sugar if you wish to do so!
It’s finer in texture and has smaller crystals that will dissolve more quickly. Just be sure to watch the pan more often to ensure you get that golden brown color and the fudge has reached the softball stage.
What Can I Substitute For Granulated Sugar In A Recipe?
Commonly used substitutes for granulated sugar in baked goods recipes are brown sugar, caster sugar, powdered sugar, molasses, honey, and syrup. Any of these substitutes can make great alternatives if you’re looking to change up your recipe or you’ve run out of one of the above sugars.
But be sure to keep an eye on the texture of your mixture to make sure it’s within the required consistency. You don’t want your mixture turning out too runny or too thick depending on what the recipe is because it won’t bake in the same way and will require a change in temperature to fix it.
However, granulated sugar can give your mixture a grainy texture when substituted for caster sugar so it’s best to make your own using granulated sugar.
What Is The Difference Between Caster Sugar And Granulated Sugar?
Caster sugar is in fact granulated sugar! It’s just been broken down into a superfine salt-like substance that is best used in baking recipes. Caster sugar is often called bakers sugar, or superfine sugar and is usually ground between a powdered and granulated consistency.
Granulated sugar is known as white sugar, or regular sugar depending on where you’re from, and has had 100% of the natural naturally present molasses refined out of it. The crystals in granulated sugar don’t cake together well, making it more suitable for drinks and for sprinkling on toppings.
How Can I Make My Own Caster Sugar? (Check Amazon prices via links)
The steps to making your own caster sugar, if granulated are all you have, are fairly simple and easy to follow!
- For every 1 cup of caster sugar that your recipe needs, add an extra cup and 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar into a food processor or coffee grinder you own and grind for a few seconds until the sugar is fine in texture. Be sure it isn’t too fine though that it turns into a powder.
- Once you have a balance between the two, you can run your sugar through a fine strainer, and once done, this can be added to your recipe as a substitute.
Caster Sugar Vs Granulated Sugar – Which Is Best For Baking?
So, we know that the only difference between the two sugars is the texture overall, caster sugar has more finely ground crystals and granulated doesn’t cake well together.
Caster sugar dissolves faster and more effectively in creams and whips and is often required in recipes such as cakes, sponges, and souffles. This makes it the best option for baked goods when it comes down to it.
What Is The Difference Between Granulated Sugar And Brown Sugar?
The difference between granulated sugar and brown sugar is the presence of molasses, which gives brown sugar its flavor, color, and taste. Brown sugar is not considered a healthy option because of the content of molasses.
Brown sugar can be made by adding molasses to boiled sugar crystals and can also be made by coating granulated sugar with molasses. Sugar canes and sugar beets are used to make different types of sugars so the main difference comes from the type used and the process involved.
Granulated crystals are larger than brown sugar and are more suited to use in hot drinks.
Fancy making brown sugar fudge? Try this 10 Delicious Brown Sugar Fudge Recipes .
Can I Substitute Powdered Sugar For Caster Sugar In A Recipe?
This would not be a recommended idea as powdered sugar is very different from caster sugar and granulated sugar.
Because granulated and caster sugars are so similar in weight and mass, they can often be substituted for each other, whereas powdered is much finer in texture overall and does not make for a good substitute for caster sugar.
Powdered sugar can give your fudge and baked goods a thin texture and ruin your recipe.
In Summary
So, overall we’ve found out that using caster sugar instead of granulated sugar for your fudge recipe does not make a huge difference to the overall fudge! Because these sugars are so similar in weight and mass, the caster makes a great alternative and possibly the best alternative in fridge recipes as opposed to granulated.
As long as you make sure to keep an eye on the pan when combining the sugar so it turns the right shade of golden brown, you’re good to go.
