Types of Sugar

Most of the time a baking recipe calls for a particular kind of sugar, I end up Googling it. Although this has gotten much better over time as I started learning the different types and their application in baking or cooking, its good to have a one stop shop for all sugar-related questions. I have compiled a few notes from a couple of different sources, hopefully you find this useful.


Sugar is undeniably one of the most important ingredients in baking. There are eggless, butterless and even flourless baking recipes but sugarless is generally not an option. Its good to know the role of sugar in baking and the different kinds of sugar most commonly used.

When a recipe calls for creaming together the fat and sugar this is not simply a way of mixing these two ingredients together.  The purpose of doing this step is to get air into the batter.  This mixing causes the sugar granules to rub against the fat producing air bubbles in the fat.  Later when the leavener is added, the leavening gases enlarge these air bubbles and cause the batter to rise when place in the oven.  The length of time you cream the butter with the sugar determines the amount of air incorporated into the batter. 


Sugar also attracts moisture in the batter which reduces the amount of gluten formed in the flour.  The result of this is twofold.  First, less gluten in the batter produces a baked good with a more tender crumb.  Hence, recipes that contain a high sugar content produce a baked good with a more tender crumb  Second,  because not as much gluten is formed, the batter will be lighter. When baked, the batter will be able to rise more and the result will be a baked good with more volume. 


The ability of sugar to hold moisture also prolongs the shelf life of baked goods.  Liquid sugars hold more moisture than other types of sugars.  Just as brown sugar will hold more moisture than granulated white sugar. 


You may have wondered why batters brown in the oven.  The browning is the result of the sugar reacting with the protein in other ingredients (eggs, milk) when heated.  The higher the sugar content the darker the crust.


There are different types of sugar and the size of the granules can differ.  Sugars vary in color from white to dark brown depending on the amount of molasses added during processing. The size of the sugar crystal affects the amount of air that can be incorporated into the batter during the creaming of the sugar and fat. For example, granulated sugar will incorporate more air into the batter than confectioner's sugar. The size of the crystal will also affect how quickly the sugar will dissolve in the batter. Therefore confectioner's sugar will dissolve quicker in the batter than granulated sugar.

Types of Sugar

Divided broadly into white and brown sugar, let's talk about white sugar first.

White Sugar:

There are many different types of granulated sugar. Some of these are used only by the food industry and professional bakers and are not available in the supermarket. The types of granulated sugars differ in crystal size. Each crystal size provides unique functional characteristics that make the sugar appropriate for a specific food’s special need.

Granulated sugar – Also called table sugar or white sugar. This is the sugar we all know and use most often, found in every home’s sugar bowl, and most commonly used in home food preparation. It is the most common form of sugar and the type most frequently called for in recipes. Its main distinguishing characteristics are a paper-white color and fine crystals.

Castor/caster sugar – Spelled both "caster" and "castor." The spelling castor sugar used to be the prevailing one, but caster sugar seems to be more usual now, perhaps because it is used by some sugar manufacturers on their packaging. See superfine sugar. UK castor/caster sugar is very finely granulated sugar (finer than U.S. granulated sugar) which allows it to dissolve almost instantly. In the United States, superfine sugar or the new Baker's sugar may be substituted. It is called "berry sugar" in British Columbia.

Confectioners or powdered sugar - In Britain it is called icing sugar and in France sucre glace. This sugar is granulated sugar ground to a smooth powder and then sifted. It contains about 3% cornstarch to prevent caking. Powdered sugar is ground into three different degrees of fineness. The confectioners sugar available in supermarkets – 10X – is the finest of the three and is used in icings, confections and whipping cream. The other two types of powdered sugar are used by industrial bakers.

Coarse sugar - Also known as pearl or decorating sugar. As its name implies, the crystal size of coarse sugar is larger than that of “regular” sugar.

Sugar cubes – They are made from moist granulated sugar that is pressed into molds and then dried.

Raw sugar – It is essentially the product at the point before the molasses is removed (what’s left after sugarcane has been processed and refined). Popular types of raw sugar include demerara sugar from Guyana and Barbados sugar, a moist, fine textured sugar. .

Brown Sugar:

Brown sugar (light and dark) - Brown sugar retains some of the surface molasses syrup, which imparts a characteristic pleasurable flavor. Dark brown sugar has a deeper color and stronger molasses flavor than light brown sugar. Lighter types are generally used in baking and making butterscotch, condiments and glazes. The rich, full flavor of dark brown sugar makes it good for gingerbread, mincemeat, baked beans, and other full flavored foods.

Demerara sugar - Popular in England, Demerara sugar is a light brown sugar with large golden crystals, which are slightly sticky from the adhering molasses. It is often used in tea, coffee, or on top of hot cereals.

Muscovado or Barbados sugar - Muscovado sugar, a British specialty brown sugar, is very dark brown and has a particularly strong molasses flavor. The crystals are slightly coarser and stickier in texture than “regular” brown sugar.

Sources: JoyofBaking, WhatsCookingAmerica.net. Image source: BundySugar.com