What is the role of sugar in cake? Everything you need to know!

It goes without saying that a successful cake depends on the good dosage of ingredients and the right chemical processes, but what is the role of sugar in cake?

The first step in making any recipe, regardless of its complexity, is to understand the role of each component. So, I chose unique tips to help you learn all about this indispensable ingredient. Check out!

Understand the role of sugar in cake

Neither more nor less, the sugar needs to be tailored, but not just to flavor the recipe, but also to help sustain it. Helping to structure the dough is just one of its functions, as it offers much more:

• It interacts directly with butter.
• Increases air retention, leaving the cake fluffy.
• It helps in the proper growth of your mixture.
• When beaten correctly with the butter, it creates the ideal base to add the rest of the ingredients.

In addition, sugar also helps in conservation of cakes. It’s certainly happened that you’ve made an amazing recipe, but there’s cake left over, isn’t it? So if you were able to consume the rest over the days, be aware that you owe it to sugar.

An important point to always remember: as much as you like that sweet and sharpest sugar recipe, never overdo the sugar dosage, do you know why?

Because when there is an imbalance between the proportion of this sweetener with the powdered yeast, the sugar ends up preventing its optimal development. Result? Potential solitary mass, as it does not grow!

What types of sugar are available and how to choose the best one?

As the confectionery evolves, more ingredients are incorporated into recipes, more techniques and combinations emerge. With that, you can really vary and, when we talk about sugar, the possibilities are countless.

If you are used to restricting the use of sugar only to the crystal or refined type, you will be surprised by the range of sweeteners that can strengthen a recipe. So, see some sugar variations:

1. Refined white sugar.
2. Traditional crystal sugar.
3. Impalpable sugar option.
4. Light version containing saccharin or aspartame.
5. Raw sugar.
6. Healthy version of coconut sugar.
7. Organic sugar option.
8. Brown sugar.

The best sugar is always what the recipe calls for. Making substitutions “blindly” can result in low masses, without adequate growth or sweetness. You might ask yourself: oh, but sugar isn’t all the same, since it’s sweet?

Not necessarily and, taking this hint, I’ll show you the characteristics of some types that are ideal for baking.

Refined sugar

Recognized for its great ability to be dissolved, the refined type can be used in many different recipes.

However, it has too fine grain, which can influence the structuring of the cake mass. For this, it is recommended to change to the crystal, which offers exactly the solid formation for the mass.

Brown sugar

Are you going to make a very creamy chocolate cake? So brown sugar may be the right kind to enhance the chocolate flavor.

This happens because the brown undergoes a reduced processing process. In this way, characteristics such as sugarcane molasses flavor and intensity are preserved and enhanced by joining the chocolate.

Raw sugar

Now, if you need more moisture in your recipe, I recommend demerara sugar. With a more intense flavor than crystal, it facilitates the retention of moisture in the dough, favoring creamier and more consistent recipes.

Therefore, the choice of sugar depends exclusively on the type of cake, if it is simple cake, crystal Sugar.

Can’t the recipe be dry at all? So, bet on demerara. Want to bring more chocolate flavor and color to your cake? With brown, there’s no mistake!

Did you run out of sugar? What can I use to replace sugar?

Assuming that pretty much everyone always has that “magical” sugar reserve that never runs out, it’s hard to imagine running out of sugar.

However, if that happens there is no need to worry. After all, you can use the following sugar substitutes:

• Honey
• Molasses
• stevia
• date (fruit)
• coconut sugar
• Xylitol
• apple puree
• banana puree

Did you overdo the sugar? See how to fix a too sweet mix!

In the rush to gather the ingredients, you realize that instead of adding ½ cup of sugar, you ended up making a mistake and that was almost 1 cup gone. Don’t throw it away yet, as there are some techniques for getting around the overly sweet dough:

1. Citrus toppings do it: orange or lemon syrup.
2. Turn the cake into another recipe: use the dough in paves or pot cakes.
3. Dark chocolate gives the candy a « break »: make a ganache with 70% cocoa to reduce the presence of the sweet.

If there is no real solution, the idea is to serve smaller portions, so guests may not notice as much sugar!

Valuable EXTRA TIP to learn all about ingredients

Although it may seem like a simple task to change one ingredient for another, or readjust the sugar requested in the recipe, know that this is not quite the case. Each change must be thought through and planned, resulting in a secure solution.

Therefore, only a professional can say with full confidence and experience how to do this in the best way.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that you check out the Professional Homemade Cakes Course. In the course, you get to know everything about ingredients, fillings, pastas, flavors and combinations that you can only find here. Check it out later!

I really hope you enjoyed my tips, enjoy sharing and see you next time!