Are superfine and granulated sugars interchangeable?

It’s a distinction with little difference for most cooks’ purposes.

Q:

A cookie recipe specified superfine sugar. Now I have a lot left over. Recently, I read that one should experiment with using superfine sugar in place of regular granulated sugar. They’re interchangeable? Do I have to make adjustments?

A:

Here’s what you need to know about superfine sugar and how it compares to standard granulated.

Superfine sugar is granulated sugar with a finer texture; its smaller crystals dissolve faster and easier than regular granulated sugar. You can make your own superfine sugar by whirring regular granulated sugar in the food processor for a minute or two. Just don’t overdo it, or you’ll end up with something more akin to confectioners’ (powdered) sugar.

Superfine, which may also be labeled as caster, bar or even baker’s sugar, is ideal for situations where you really want to make sure the sugar dissolves, such as in a delicate angel food cake, meringue or buttercream frosting. Drinks are another great use for superfine sugar, especially because the sugar will dissolve readily, even in a cold liquid.

If you’re looking for a finer texture and extra lightness in your cookies, consider swapping superfine sugar for granulated. The smaller crystals of superfine sugar trap more air when the sugar and butter are beaten together during creaming, Rose Levy Beranbaum says in “The Cookie Bible.” The finer sugar also means the dough is less likely to crack during baking. For cookies rolled in sugar before baking, superfine provides a delicate, even coating.

Substituting granulated sugar for superfine isn’t always ideal for texture reasons, but you can swap in superfine for granulated with no problem. As I’ve written often, I always prefer to measure ingredients for baking by weight. But is there a difference in the weight of 1 cup of superfine sugar versus 1 cup of granulated sugar? Depends on whom you ask, but the gist is, not really — we’re talking maybe a margin of 10 or so grams per cup, which is not an appreciable difference. If the recipe specifies weight and you have a scale, by all means substitute the same number of grams of superfine for granulated. If you’re only working with volume, swap in an equal amount of cups (or tablespoons).