I was taught to sift ps before adding it to basically anything. I am beginning to think it is only necessary for mmf and to decorate with bc icing. I am curious what everyone else does. Do you sift when making icing to cover a cake?

always. always. always.

Yes!! My buttercream can tend to be gritty if I don't. If I'm using a mix to bake a cake, I even sift that.

I sift anything that will sift... Yes, I too sift the cake mix if I use a box mix.

I didn't for the longest time, but just started to. WOW, the difference is amazing. Now I will always sift, even my box cake mix!!!!

Me too! My powdered sugar, flour, salt, baking powder - even if I'm doing a doctored cake mix I sift!

On a side note - if you sift your cake mix, you can use a sturdy whisk and the batter will come together quickly and beautiful. It'll be done before you can even get the mixer ready!

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Originally Posted by crazyladybaker

I sift anything that will sift... Yes, I too sift the cake mix if I use a box mix.

I never sifted my powder sugar for my buttercream, until about 2 months ago. At first I was really impressed because my buttercream seemed so smooth and even tasted better. But at that time I was having problems with my icing when frosting my cakes. This weekend I did a wedding cake, did not sift my powder sugar and I had very good luck with covering my cakes. I think I am just going to save myself the extra step and go back to not sifting. I do however whisk my box cake mixes.

I've been here all my life, excluding my time away in college! My family has been in the Cayman Islands since the 1700s (thats documented at least) so I think that makes me a bonafide island girl .

I'm so glad you love it here! I always feel so proud whenever someone gives my country a compliment, and feel no way about being nosy . If you come anytime soon, feel free to PM me or e-mail me - you can always use my kitchen if you get a baking itch while you're on vacay!

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyladybaker

Quote:

Originally Posted by caymancake

Me too! My powdered sugar, flour, salt, baking powder - even if I'm doing a doctored cake mix I sift!

On a side note - if you sift your cake mix, you can use a sturdy whisk and the batter will come together quickly and beautiful. It'll be done before you can even get the mixer ready!

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyladybaker

I sift anything that will sift... Yes, I too sift the cake mix if I use a box mix.

wow...someone from my most favorite place in the world! Can I be nosy and ask how long you have been there in Cayman?
We discovered your beautiful island a few years ago and have been every summer for vacation.
Want to hear something funny? I was just daydreaming today about sitting in the sand at Rum Point and watching the sunset.
Oh, I have to stop before I get all sad. Well, anyway I just wanted to say Hi to someone fortunate enough to live in such a gorgeous place.

I know that the dear Lord was looking out for both me and my customer. I have always used a recipe for doctored cake mixes and one day I felt led to sift the mix. In that cake mix I found a large aluminum staple - the kind that is used on the plastic bags containing fruits and vegetables like oranges and potatoes. I could not believe my eyes!! From that day on I always, always always sift.

In a couple of other cake mixes I have found a hard piece of plastic about the size of my thumbnail and also a small pebble. I have been baking cakes on and off for 32 years and I certainly don't want to be responsible for paying someones Doctor or dental bill. Better safe than sorry. So, I most definitely ALWAYS sift (including the P Sugar). If it can fit in my sifter - I throw it in there!! Whatever doesn't sift through gets thrown in the trash.

yes ALWAYS sift! Prevention is better than cure, and further to what was mentioned previously when you don't sift those little rocks can get stuck in your tips, OMG a real pain if you're using tips one to five.

Sift..sift..sift..always!!

OK, OK, I'll sift! Sheeez..... It is just so enormously easier to just snip off a corner of the 4 lb. C&H bag and gently pour into my KA.

Now, HOW to you sift? A medium aluminum strainer over a bowl that is tapped?
An actual hand held sifter? How big? What kind of handle? turn handle or squeeze?
How do you get your sifted 4 lbs. of powdered sugar into your KA without getting it all over the kitchen?

I bought a hand-held sifter with the trigger mechanism and nearly broke my hand sifting just 3 cups of flour. Go for the rotary one if you must and bypass the trigger sifter. I recently read The Cake Bible and Rose Levy Beranbaum had the greatest tip about using the food processor for a few whirls. I am still using a strainer and while it takes forever, I don't nearly need to kill all my hand muscles just to make a cake.

I use the good old fashion sifter with the handle that you turn. Just set the sifter inside of a gallon zip loc bag, pour the P Sugar into the sifter in the bag, sift and then pour the sifted sugar into you KA mixer from that bag.

Sometimes I sift into a bowl and then I use a large plastic spoon (the kind from the dollar store that comes in a set with a slotted spoon and a spatula) and spoon it into the KA. It really doesn't take long and it is a bit neater. It doesn't seem to get all over my kitchen that way.

I tried the one with the handle but my hand always hurt at the end so now I use a large strainer with fine sieve. I pour the ps in there and hold over a big bowl and kind of shake and at the same time I stir with a spoon.

large mesh strainer over a bowl & tap
also I drape the kitchen towel over the KA to avoid the puffs
speaking of always sifting..... where has Mawarobin been? anybody know?

I sift cake boxes as well. and all my dry ingredients together. My strainer fits perfect over my KA bowl and I cover sometimes with a towel from sugar smoke. I don't use hand held sifter's of any kind, anymore. They rust if you forget to dry them completely and they hurt my hand..So the mesh strainer is awesome to me.

I bought a cheap hand held strainer at Wal Mart. I too sift mixes, scratch ingredients, powdered sugar, etc. I sift it over a large metal bowl and use a measuring cup to scoop and plop it into the KA bowl.

I use a big sieve, and always sift every dry powder.
I too, have found things in 'powders'; plastic bits, those annoying lumps... once a large ant-thing in a brand new bag of sugar. (That bag promptly went back to the store.)

I shall continue to sift! Thanks for the great responses!

I have always sifted PS but not the dry ingredients including the cake mix. Great info. Will have to sift it all next time.