Can you help me with sugars?

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Ok i can cook but i don't bake. Whenever i try to bake I never seem to have the right sugar for the recipe. Today i wanted to make a cake, the recipe says caster sugar, in my cupboard there is soft brown sugar. Is that the same?

Whats the difference between white sugar, dark brown, light brown, caster, moscovado (sp?)etc. What can you replace and do you change the ammount? Any rules to make it clear and simple?
Thanks

caster is basically finer ground white sugar, works better for some things, but IME generally makes little difference

raw cane sugar is basically unbleached natural white sugar, & can be used as such, but a bit healthier

The other sugars will vary the flavour, as in they have a more caramel like taste, & generally the darker the colour, the stronger that is, right up to mollasses which has almost a burnt toffee taste to it

if you replace white sugar with any of the darker ones, it will affect the flavour, so whether it will be okay, will depend on what you are making - for example, a darker more caramel sugar won't work so well with a lemon cake, but would be fine with a banana cake, as it will compliment the banana

you need caster for light cakes and biscuits. I never keep granulated, the rare people who want it in drinks get caster.

The others - depends what sort of thing you like making. I reckon if you don't want lots of different types, then have some dark brown and if the recipe says light use half dark, half caster.
The amounts should stay the same, they're all basically sugar.

Thank you ladies.

The cake is orange and almond. I will make it later and let you know. Thanks

I virtually always use granulated if it says caster and always have good results ,knocks on wood>

I find darker sugars tend to be a bitt heavier in texture as well as flavour.

Yum I love orange and almond. I bake a fair bit and always have in the cupboard:

• 3 bags of golden caster sugar ( this is really all purpose sugar used in most cakes and biscuits )
• 1 bag soft light brown sugar ( for fruit cakes or toffeeish flavour )
• 1 bag demerara sugar ( more brittle brown sugar I use for crunchy toppings and granola )
• 1 bag icing sugar ( err for icing )

I use very little granulated ( some people have it in hot drinks I believe and some use as crunchy topping for lemon drizzle )and dark brown sugar ( strong flavour ).

Muscovado is basically soft brown sugar - so where you see light muscovado sugar its light soft brown sugar etc.

Hi,
in the end i've made it and it was yum.

moonface and taffetacat, thank you too. At last i finally have the mystery around muscovado sugar solved!