A lot of our recipes use powdered sugar instead of granulated for pillowy smooth texture. Here are some common questions I get!
See all of our powdered sugar pound cake recipes here.
Why would you use powdered sugar instead of granulated?
I tried it the first time and was hooked ever since! The texture is smoother, more pillowy, and more delicate. The fine texture really comes out in the baked cake.
How do you convert a recipe from granulated to powdered sugar?
1 cup granulated sugar is equivalent to 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, measured like flour (fluff it up, scoop it into the measuring cup then level, without packing down). A standard pound cake with 3 cups of granulated sugar will use 5 1/4 cups powdered sugar, and a mile high with 4 cups of granulated sugar will be 7 cups powdered sugar. It's the same amount of sugar by weight as well - 600g for a standard pound cake and 800g for a mile high.
You can also measure your 3 or 4 cups of granulated sugar and pulse it in a food processor or high powered blender and use the full amount for your recipe.
Does the flavor change?
It's the same amount of sugar, so the flavor doesn't change, primarily the texture. There's a small amount of cornstarch in powdered sugar but I'm not sure how much of an effect that has.
Our cookbook has all the recipes with both powdered sugar and granulated sugar quantities depending on which one you prefer to use, as well as a chart in the back for quick conversions.
Have you tried powdered sugar in a pound cake? What did you think?
