When Chaley Harney’s customers request a showstopping creation for their special occasion, she uses sugar glass to ensure their cake will be the life of the party.
“While sugar glass is not something you see on every birthday cake, it is one of those secret weapons decorators love to break out when a cake needs a real ‘wow’ factor,” she said. “Sugar glass can be used to make a splash effect on a water-themed cake or as broken glass for Halloween cupcakes.”
Sugar glass, a beautifully clear and edible hard candy, looks just like real glass.
“It is made from just a few simple ingredients: granulated sugar, corn syrup, and water,” said Harney, a cake decorating instructor and designer from Billings, Montana. “This mixture is boiled until it reaches about 300°F, which is referred to as the ‘hard crack’ stage.”
Glucose or corn syrup is used to prevent the sugar from recrystallizing and becoming opaque, by disrupting the orderly arrangement of the sugar molecules. Cream of tartar can also be used for this purpose by converting the sugar into glucose and fructose. Because sugar glass is hygroscopic, it must be used soon after preparation or it will soften and lose its brittle quality. The mixture is then poured out to cool in a glossy, transparent sheet and food coloring or edible shimmer can also be added.
Sugar work such as sugar pulling and blown sugar, has a long history in the pastry arts, according to Harney.
“Sugar glass, however, has gained more mainstream attention recently, especially thanks to television and movies,” she said. “Hollywood and cake decorators love sugar glass for its drama. It can be used to replicate glass and poured into shaped silicone molds to make bottles, gems, windows and ice shards.”
Harney, who is executive director of the Montana Beef Council in addition to running her baking business called Sugar by Chaley, first worked with sugar glass when creating a custom cake order.
“A customer asked for an ice fishing themed cake for her husband’s birthday, so I came up with an idea to have a walleye fish jumping out of the top of the cake. The cake would be made of ‘water’ and look like a splash,” said Harney. “I could have used buttercream to create a water effect, but I decided since I was already using fondant that adding another medium could really bring another ‘wow’ factor. I had a lot of fun making different swirls and spreading some of the sugar for various effects of splashing water.”
Since then, Harney has used sugar glass on a Godzilla-themed cake as well as for a broken glass effect for a murder mystery cake and Halloween cupcakes.
“I’m self-taught through videos, online tutorials, lots of late-night experiments and a few too many sticky stovetops. I wouldn’t say it is hard, but it is not something to rush, and your thermometer is your best friend,” said Harney. “I’ve had batches that turned out perfectly and others that needed a redo. Sugar glass is equal parts science and art, like most things in baking. That being said, even an imperfect batch might be just fine depending on your final use.”
A light touch and patient precision are also key ingredients in the recipe for sugar glass.
“Yes, sugar glass is delicate, but that’s part of its magic. It is a whisper of sweetness that can shatter into edible sparkle, so it must be handled gently, especially when once it is cooled and shaped,” Harney said. “Depending on climate, working with it on cooler days or indoors will keep humidity from causing to go soft or sticky. Also, consider using gloves, tongs or tweezers when handling as your fingerprints might show up on the sugar glass.”
Harney urges all baking enthusiasts to remember that although making sugar glass is simple and fun for professionals and home chefs alike, safety is of paramount importance.
“I always tell people that sugar is sweet but boiling sugar is serious business. The mixture for sugar glass gets extremely hot, so it is definitely a project for adults or older kids with very close adult supervision,” she said. “I always say to treat hot sugar like you would a stovetop—with respect, patience and oven mitts nearby. The second thing to keep in mind is that sugar glass has sharp edges after it dries and cracks. This hardened candy should not be used on a cake or treat for small children because the sharp sugar edges can be dangerous for little mouths.”
With practice, patience and an eye to safety, the creative possibilities of sugar glass are endless, according to Harney.
“It’s amazing what you can do with sugar, heat and a little imagination,” she said.
Photos provided by Chaley Harney
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