How to Sift Powdered Sugar

Powdered sugar absorbs moisture from the air, forming hardened lumps that can affect the texture of your baking projects. Sifting removes these lumps and makes the sugar fluffier by adding air. Any fine mesh can be used for sifting, most commonly a kitchen strainer or a specialized, hand-cranked sifter.

Method 1 of 2:
Basic Sifting Instructions

  1. 1
    Check your recipe to find out whether to measure the sugar before or after sifting. If the recipe calls for "two cups (480 mL) sifted, powdered sugar" you should sift first, then measure out two cups (480 mL) of sifted sugar. If the recipe calls for "two cups (480 mL) powdered sugar, sifted" or simply "powdered sugar" with instructions to sift later on, measure out two cups, then sift.
    • If the sugar contains many clumps, always sift before measuring.
    • If measuring by weight (such as ounces or grams), it shouldn't matter whether you sift before or after.
  2. 2
    Use the widest bowl you can find. Sifting can be messy. Use a large, wide container to minimize cleanup. If your container is not significantly wider than your sifter, you may want to put down paper towels or a plate underneath it to catch spills.
    • Alternatively, use a large sheet of wax paper. This method is best used with small amounts of sugar at a time. Don't pile the sifted sugar high enough to prevent you from picking up the paper for pouring into another container.
  3. 3
    Pour a small amount of sugar into a sifter or strainer. Add no more than a few spoonfuls to the sifter or strainer at one time, leaving cup-shaped sifters less than 3/4 full. Trying to fill the sifter fuller won't save time, and can cause sugar to spill over the top and make a mess.
    • A metal can-shaped sifter with a hand crank on the side is an easy, relatively tidy sifting tool. If you do not have one, you can use a fine mesh strainer instead, or see the section on sifting without a sifter.
  4. 4
    Gently shake the sifter or operate its crank. Shake the sifter or strainer gently back and forth over the bowl or wax paper. If it has a crank on the side, press it repeatedly with your hand. These motions cause the sugar to shift, sending the fine particles of sugar through the mesh.
    • Do not shake up and down, and keep motions gentle. If you are too vigorous, you may create a "cloud" of powdered sugar that makes a mess of your kitchen.
  5. 5
    Tap the sides if the sugar is stuck. If the sugar is lumpy or hard-packed, it is more likely to get stuck in the mesh. If you see the trail of sugar stop or slow almost to a halt, tap the side of the strainer or sifter with a few, short motions of your hand. This should dislodge the stuck particles.
  6. 6
    Add more sugar until all of it is sifted, throwing away lumps if necessary. If your sugar has absorbed moisture and formed lumps, these will not fall through the mesh. Discard these, then add more sugar for sifting. Continue shaking gently until all of the sugar you need has fallen through the mesh.
    • If sifting before measuring, you may need to stop periodically to find out if you have enough sugar. Transfer the sifted sugar gently to a measuring cup. Do not pack the sifted sugar down.
  7. 7
    Know when sifting is optional. Professional bakers typically sift sugar and other dry ingredients in every recipe, but many baking hobbyists try to avoid this sometimes messy or tedious step. If you saw only a couple of pea-sized lumps in your sugar during sifting, or none at all, consider skipping the sifting next time you make cakes, cookies, or other recipes where sugar is one of many ingredients. Sifting is more important when making icing, buttercream, or other decorative toppings in which gritty sugar is easily noticed.
    • If you want your baked goods to end up airy, light, and even-textured, you can sift the dry ingredients together after they've been mixed.[1] In this case, you do not need to sift the sugar separately unless there are many, obvious lumps that need to be removed before measuring.

Method 2 of 2:
Sifting Without a Sifter

  1. 1
    Use any fine mesh strainer. Even many people who bake regularly use a strainer instead of a hand-crank sifter. A small strainer minimizes the amount of mess created. If you only have a wide strainer, such as one for draining vegetables, only use a spoonful or two of sugar at a time to prevent it falling around your bowl rather than into it.
    • Note that colanders, which drain through holes instead of a wire mesh, do not typically have small enough holes to prevent sugar lumps from falling through.
  2. 2
    Whisk sugar with other ingredients instead. If you do not have a sifter or strainer, stirring with a whisk or fork can help you find lumps to remove manually, but this will not be very effective. However, if you are instructed to sift all the dry ingredients in a baking recipe together, whisking them with a whisk or fork is a fine alternative. Just like sifting, whisking adds air to make the mixture fluffier, and helps mix the ingredients evenly together.[2]
  3. 3
    Use a tea strainer for decorating cookies. Sometimes, bakers sift powdered sugar over cookies or other small treats as tasty decoration. A mesh tea strainer may actually work better than a sifter for this purpose, since it shakes the sugar only over a small area.[3]
    • Make sure the tea strainer is well-cleaned and dry, with no strong aroma.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    Can you freeze a cake with a powdered sugar topping?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but the sugar particles are really small, so they will not taste like anything after you take the cake out of the freezer.
  • Question
    Can I sift icing sugar and leave it in an airtight container till I need it?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but you may have to resift it if it sits for too long.
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      About This Article

      Tested By:
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      10 votes - 80%
      Co-authors: 2
      Updated: November 7, 2019
      Views: 79,636
      Categories: Basic Cooking Skills
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        Maddy Brown

        May 11, 2016

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