A bit of baking help for the bakingly challenged please

Quickly before I forget. What's the difference between caster sugar and regular sugar?

Caster sugar is crushed more, so its finer than regular sugar.

Caster sugar is crushed more, so its finer than regular sugar.

Can it be used in place of regular sugar?

Can it be used in place of regular sugar?

Caster sugar is usually preferred over regular sugar in baking recipes (i.e. in cakes) because it blends in with the mixture better - it becomes smooth and creamy and you don't get that crunchy sugar consistency in it - whereas regular sugar is usually required for recipes like fudge, which is very sugary, or in recipes that involve melting ingredients to form a syrupy mixture (such as chocolate cornflake cakes).

Most cookbooks and recipes specify which sugar should be used for the type of food you're making. There's nothing wrong with using caster sugar in place of regular, but it may change the consistency slightly.

Thanks for that! My husband brought home caster sugar the other day and I ended up using it in my apple pie. I was wondering if that's why it was overly sweet. Then my husband tells me I should have used baking apples     Baking apples? I just grabbed a bag of apples. I didn't know you had to use certain apples! Oy vey this is too much work!

Thanks for that! My husband brought home caster sugar the other day and I ended up using it in my apple pie. I was wondering if that's why it was overly sweet. Then my husband tells me I should have used baking apples     Baking apples? I just grabbed a bag of apples. I didn't know you had to use certain apples! Oy vey this is too much work!

Some types of apples hold up better to the heat for baking than others. I'm not sure what types of apples are available there, so I can't really tell you what is best, but the best apples for baking are more firm. I usually use Cortland, Red Delicious tend to fall apart and become too mushy.

Baking apples? I just grabbed a bag of apples. I didn't know you had to use certain apples! Oy vey this is too much work!

Baking apples, as well as holding up better as scarlett says, are also much tarter than eating apples. In a pie, you don't really want to use a sweet eating apple. Bramleys are good in pies!

I think in the Uk they are usually sold as cooking apples.  But I have made apple pie with cox's before, and it's turned out fine - I just use a little less sugar.

I made the world's easiest chocolate sponge cake this afternoon, and in my fan oven I cooked it at the same temperature but reduced the cooking time form 1 hr 30 to about 50 mins.


Vicky