How to Make Spun Sugar

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: September 4, 2022 References Tested

You've probably seen simple caramel syrups or drizzles on desserts. While this is a nice touch, if you're looking to make your dessert really stand out, consider garnishing it with a spun sugar decoration. You'll need to make an easy caramel syrup and pull the syrup into thin strands as it dries. You can do this in a variety of ways: make a spun sugar cage, create a delicate spiral, or form a fine nest. Any of these beautiful spun sugar decorations can really make a simple dessert pop.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (500 grams) sugar
1/2 cup (170 grams) corn syrup
1/2 cup (118 ml) water

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Making the Sugar Syrup

1
Ready your work space. Keep all of your supplies near your stove top or range so you aren't running around your kitchen with hot sugar. You'll need a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan on your stove. Set a large bowl of ice water on the counter next to the stove. You'll also need a small bowl of water, a pastry brush, and a candy thermometer.^{[1]
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- Make sure the saucepan will be able to fit inside the bowl with ice water.
2
Place the ingredients in the saucepan. Pour 1/2 cup of water in your saucepan. You'll also need to scoop in 1/2 cup of corn syrup and 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Try not to get any of the granulated sugar on the sides of the saucepan since this can make the mixture crystallize.^{[2]
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- It may help to pour the granulated sugar directly into the center of the saucepan.
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3
Cook the syrup. Stir the mixture just once so that the water and sugars combine. Turn the heat onto medium-high heat so that the sugar dissolves. Avoid stirring the mixture while it cooks or it may crystallize and become grainy. The mixture will bubble and begin to darken a little. Keep cooking until a candy thermometer reads 293 degrees F (145 degrees C).^{[3]
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- To prevent crystallization, dip your pastry brush in some water and wipe down the sides of the saucepan. Take extra care not to burn yourself with the hot sugar.
4
Ice the syrup. Once your sugar syrup has reached the proper temperature, you'll need to immediately stop it from cooking further. Use hot pads to carefully lift the saucepan off of the stove and plunge the bottom of the pot directly into the bowl of ice water. Keep the saucepan on the ice water for 5 seconds.^{[4]
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- This should bring the temperature of your sugar syrup down to around 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Making a Spun Sugar Cage

1
Choose a bowl. Determine what size cage you'd like to make and find a bowl that is the diameter of what you need. Wash and dry the bowl. Spray the inside of it lightly with a little cooking spray so you can easily remove the sugar cage.^{[5]
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- Make sure the bowl you use can handle the high heat of the sugar syrup. Avoid using flimsy plastic or styrofoam bowls.
2
Spin the sugar syrup over the bowl. Pour the somewhat cooled sugar syrup into a microwave-safe bowl. When the syrup is thickened to the consistency of honey, dip the tines of a fork into the syrup. Wave the fork over the bowl so that the syrup strands begin to cover the bowl and drape over the sides. Keep spinning the sugar until the cage is as thick and even as you'd like it.^{[6]
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- You'll need to be careful when handling the hot syrup, but work quickly. If the syrup in the bowl hardens too much, simply microwave it briefly so that it becomes syrupy again.
3
Trim the rim of the sugar cage. At this point, you'll have a spun sugar cage nestled inside your bowl with long strands draping over the sides of the bowl. To clean up the look of your sugar cage, trip the edges of the bowl. Take a sharp chef's knife and trim along the edges of the bowl.^{[7]
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- To strengthen the sugar cage and make it easier to remove, you'll need to let the sugar cage set up for about 5 minutes.
4
Remove the cage from the bowl. Once the cage has completely hardened, you'll need to unmold the sugar cage. Place your thumbs on the outside of the bowl and rest your other fingers on the inside so they're touching the sugar cage. Gently apply pressure so you can pull the cage up and away.^{[8]
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- If it seems like your sugar cage may break, move your hands and fingers to another point along the bowl. Applying even pressure can prevent the cage from breaking as you remove it.
5
Use the spun sugar cage. Set the sugar cage on top of your dessert and serve it immediately. The sugar cage will begin to absorb moisture from the air and it may fall apart if you wait too long to serve it.^{[9]
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- If the sugar cage is still too warm, it will collapse. If it begins to do this, place it back into the bowl so that it keeps its shape while it hardens.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Creating a Spun Sugar Nest

1
Ready your work space. You can use any type of wooden dowels, rolling pins, or spoon handles to drape the spun sugar. Since it's a matter of personal preference, you can try using one large rolling pin or several wooden handles. Cover your counter space and floor with foil. This will make clean up easier since the sugar may fall and harden.^{[11]
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- If you'd like to use several wooden handles or dowels, consider taping them to your counter space so they don't fall while you're spinning the sugar. Keep them several inches apart so you can pull the sugar between them.
2
Spin the sugar. Dip the tines of one or two forks into your bowl of sugar syrup. Raise them up so the biggest drips of syrup fall back into the pan. Working quickly, point the fork tines down over the wooden dowels, handles, or rolling pin and wave your wrist back and forth.^{[12]
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- Moving your wrist quickly while the sugar falls will create thin delicate strands of sugar that you can form and work with.
3
Gather and form the nests. The strands of sugar will cool very quickly and you should be able to gently loosen them from the wood. Gather the strands of sugar together in your hands. Loosely cup your hands together so that the sugar strands form a small nest. Continue pulling and forming the strands to create as many nests as you need.^{[13]
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- Make sure your hands are cool when working with the spun sugar or else the thin strands may begin to melt.
4
Use your spun sugar nests. Since the nests are made of delicate sugar strands, they'll begin to absorb moisture from the air. You should serve the desserts with sugar nests immediately (or at least within an hour).^{[14]
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- If you must store them for a little while before serving, place the nests in an airtight container with parchment and silica packets (to absorb the moisture). This can help store them for up to one day.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Crafting a Spun Sugar Spiral

1
Hold the sugar syrup over a sharpening steel. Dip the tines of a fork into your sugar syrup and allow the biggest drips of syrup to fall back into the bowl. When the syrup becomes a very thin stream, hold it over a sharpening steel (like you use to sharpen knives).^{[15]
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- If you don't have a sharpening steel, you can also use the greased handle of a metal kitchen tool.
2
Wind the sugar around your tool. Begin winding the strand of sugar around the handle of the tool you're using (sharpening steel or metal kitchen utensil). Start close to you and gradually wind the sugar to the end of the tool. You'll need to work fast so the sugar doesn't completely cool before you've made your spiral.^{[16]
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- This may take several tries since the sugar has to be delicate enough to wrap, but strong enough not to break.
3
Remove the sugar spiral. Snap the end farthest from you to create a trimmed spiral. Working very carefully, cup the sugar spiral with the palm of one of your hands and gently pull it away and off from the handle of your tool.^{[18]
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- Since a sugar spiral is made using one strand of sugar, it may be very thin and delicate.
4
Use your sugar spiral. Serve the sugar spiral on your dessert right away since it will begin to absorb moisture from the air. Since the sugar spirals are so delicate, you really shouldn't plan on storing them for any length of time. But, if you'd like to try to keep them for use within the same day, you should:^{[19]
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- Store the spirals in an airtight container
- Set the spirals on parchment paper
- Place silica packets in the container to absorb moisture

Community Q&A

Question

What could cause spun sugar to melt overnight in a cool room?

Community Answer

Moisture in the air will cause your spun sugar to melt. For best results, use your spun sugar immediately or at least within the same day.