Jenn Ridley > wrote in
:

> Conny > wrote:
>
>>I have checked several brands of powdered sugar, and they all have
>>cornstarch listed as the second ingredient other than sugar. Why
>>cornstarch??
>
> To keep the sugar from caking up. Without the cornstarch all you'd
> have is a solid block of sugar that used to be powdered, and is now
> compressed into a cake.

No - it has lumps in it, but they're easily broken up. In Australia, (and
in UK too, I think, possibly also in Canada) you can get icing sugar
(powdered sugar) without cornflour (cornstarch). There are two types of
icing sugar available - one is mixed with cornflour and is labelled icing
sugar mix. The other has no cornflour and is labelled pure icing sugar.
There are always lumps in it, but I just break them up when sifting the
icing sugar. The type without cornflour is preferred by cake decorators
etc, I believe, for making hard setting icings - royal icing etc.

As far as availability in the US goes, someone else (Alex, I think) has
mentioned a wholefoods/healthfood store. Possibly the OP could also try
checking with cake decorating suppliers?

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia