/ 100 g confectioner's sugar

Confectioner's sugar, also known as powdered sugar, icing sugar, or 10x sugar, is a finely ground white crystalline sweetener produced by pulverizing granulated cane or beet sugar into an impalpable powder. The production process involves crushing refined white sugar to an extremely fine consistency, typically passing through screens of 200 mesh or finer, which reduces particle size to approximately 10 micrometers. To prevent caking and improve flow properties, a small amount of anti-caking agent—traditionally cornstarch (3-4% by weight) but sometimes silica or other starches—is added. This ingredient dissolves readily in liquids and creates smooth, lump-free mixtures, making it essential for applications requiring a refined texture without graininess. The color is uniformly white, and the flavor is purely sweet with no discernible taste beyond sucrose sweetness.

Confectioner's sugar is indispensable in pastry arts and baking, used primarily for dusting baked goods, creating smooth icings and frostings, making royal icing, and preparing glazes for cakes, cookies, and donuts. It dissolves quickly in small amounts of liquid (milk, egg whites, water) to form spreadable pastes without grittiness, unlike granulated sugar which would create textured results. The ingredient is favored in meringue preparation and buttercream frostings where a fine, silky mouthfeel is desired. It is also employed in confectionery work, including the production of fondant, marzipan, and other decorative candies. In savory applications, it occasionally features in spice rubs or as a light finish on savory items, though this use is less common than its widespread application in sweet preparations.