Processed
Icing Sugar
S tier
Icing sugar (powdered or confectioners' sugar) is sucrose ground to a flour and usually cut with a little anti-caking starch. It dissolves instantly into glazes, buttercreams, and dusting. The starch is why a water icing sets opaque and why a chocolate ganache can dull if you dump in too much. It will not cream like granulated and it will not give a caramel the same behaviour. Sift it; it lumps at a rumour of humidity. "10x" and "6x" are grind grades, not sweetness grades. Unstarch icing sugar exists for some professional work—read the pack before you blame the recipe.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
History
Confectioners milled loaf sugar to a dust for royal icing and fondant work.
Starch-cut powdered sugar became the grocery standard for home icing.
Industrial bakeries specified 6x and 10x grinds for different creams and dustings.
Pure icing sugars without starch appeared for professional chocolate and Italian meringue work.