Refined sugar can absorb water from the humidity of the air, causing hard lumps to form that can affect the texture of the cake you make. The sifting will remove the lumps and produce a lighter, fluffy powdered sugar by adding air between the sugar granules during sifting. Any sieve with fine holes can be used to sift the powdered sugar, especially a kitchen sieve or a special hand-operated sieve.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Sifting Basic Instructions
Step 1. Check the recipe for the cake you are going to make to see if you should measure the sugar before or after sifting
If your recipe says "two cups (480 ml) of sifted powdered sugar," you'll need to sift the sugar first, then measure out two cups (480 ml) of sifted sugar. If the recipe calls for "two cups (480 ml) powdered sugar, sifted" or just "powdered sugar" with instructions for sifting in the next step, measure out two cups of powdered sugar, then sift.
- If the sugar contains a lot of lumps, always sift it before measuring.
- If using a weight measurement (such as ounces or grams), there will be no difference between sifting before or after.
Step 2. Use the largest bowl you can find
The sifting process can be messy. Therefore, use a large and wide container to minimize the dirt that must be cleaned later. If the container is not much wider than the sieve, you may need to place a paper towel or plate underneath to catch any spilled sugar.
Or, use a large sheet of parchment paper. This method is best used for small amounts of sugar per sieve. Don't let the sugar build up so high that you can't safely pick up the paper to pour the stack of sugar into another container
Step 3. Pour a little sugar into a sieve or sieve
Place no more than a few spoonfuls into the sieve or colander at a time, so that you only fill less than of the volume of the glass sieve (if you are using one). Trying to fill the sieve completely won't save time, and could cause the sugar to spill off the top of the sieve and make the sugar messy.
A tin-shaped metal sieve that has handles to move it around is a fairly easy and neat sieve to use. If you don't have one, you can use a fine mesh strainer instead, or see the sieveless filter section of this article
Step 4. Gently shake the sieve, or move the crank
Gently rock the sieve or sieve back and forth over the bowl or parchment paper. If your sieve has a crank on the side, press it down repeatedly with your hands. This movement will cause the sugar to shift, causing the fine sugar particles to drop through the sieve holes.
Do not shake in an up and down motion, and keep the motion slow and gentle. If you move it too fast or too hard, you can create a "cloud" or "fog" of powdered sugar that can make your kitchen messy
Step 5. Pat the sides of the sieve if the sugar gets stuck
Powdered sugar that is clumped or packed tightly is more likely to get stuck in the sieve. If the downward movement of the sugar stops or is so slow that it almost stops, pat the sides of the sieve or sieve in a few short strokes. This should be able to move the trapped sugar particles away.
Step 6. Add more sugar until all the sugar is sifted, and remove lumps if necessary
If your sugar has absorbed the moisture and is clumping, chances are the lumps won't fall through the sieve holes. Remove the lumps, then add more sugar for sifting. Continue to shake gently until all the sugar you need has fallen through the sieve holes.
If you sift the sugar before measuring it, you may need to stop periodically to check if you have sifted sugar enough. Slowly transfer the sifted sugar to a measuring cup. Do not press or compress the sifted sugar
Step 7. Know when sieving is optional
Professional bakers usually sift through the sugar and other dry ingredients in every recipe, but many cake aficionados try to avoid this sometimes messy or tedious step. If you only notice a few pea-sized lumps in your sugar during sifting, or none at all, consider skipping this step the next time you're making cakes, cookies, or other recipes where sugar is one of the many ingredients used. Sifting sugar becomes even more important when making icing, buttercream, or other decorative toppings where lumpy or coarse-grained sugar is easy to see.
If you want your cookies to be fluffy, light, and have a uniform texture, you can sift the dry ingredients together after mixing them. In this case, you don't need to sift the sugar separately unless there are a lot of obvious lumps that need to be removed before measuring
Method 2 of 2: Sifting Without Sieve
Step 1. Use any filter that has fine holes
In fact, many people who bake regularly only use a sieve instead of a sieve with a hand crank. A small strainer will minimize the resulting mess. If you only have a large sieve like the one used for drying vegetables, simply sift a tablespoon or two of sugar at a time to prevent the sugar from falling around the bowl instead of into it.
Please note that strainer containers, which are usually used for draining water through holes instead of wire mesh, usually don't have holes small enough to prevent lumps of sugar from falling through the holes
Step 2. Beat the sugar with the other ingredients instead
If you don't have a sieve or sieve, stirring the sugar with a whisk or fork can help you find lumps of sugar to remove manually, but it won't be very effective. However, if the recipe calls for sifting all the dry ingredients together, stirring them together with a whisk or fork is a good alternative. Just like sifting, stirring will add air between the grains of the material making it lighter and helping the ingredients mix evenly together.
Step 3. Use a tea strainer to decorate the cake
Sometimes, bakers sift powdered sugar over cookies or other small treats as a delicious garnish. A tea strainer with mesh holes can work better than a sieve for this purpose, as it only sifts the sugar through a small area.
