Spun Sugar

Appears in
Professional Baking
Professional Baking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2008

  • About

Spun sugar is a mass of threadlike or hairlike strands of sugar used to decorate cakes and showpieces. Gâteau St-Honoré is often decorated with spun sugar.

Spun sugar should be made just before it is needed because it does not keep well. It gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere and becomes sticky. Eventually, this absorbed moisture causes the sugar to dissolve.
Prepare a workstation by propping a lightly oiled wooden rod or rolling pin on the edge of a table so it projects horizontally beyond the edge of the table by 1 to 2 feet (30–60 cm). Place plenty of paper on the floor below to catch drippings. To spin the sugar, you will need a wire whip with the ends cut off.