What to use instead of 1 cup powdered (icing) sugar
1
1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch, blended
Blend in a dry blender or spice grinder for 1 to 2 minutes until powdery. Let the dust settle before opening.
Best for: Icing, glazes, dusting
Chef's tipSift homemade powdered sugar before using for the smoothest frosting.
Substituting in baking
Baking is chemistry, so swaps work best when you change one ingredient at a time and keep everything else exactly as written. Measure the substitute carefully, ideally by weight, and expect small differences in texture or browning. If a bake really matters, such as a birthday cake, try the swap in a half batch first.
Need more or less than 1 cup powdered (icing) sugar? Scale the swap the same way as the original amount, or paste your recipe into the recipe converter to scale everything at once.
