The Secret To Sprinkles
It may be hard to believe, but cake sprinkles have been around since the late 1700s. Not only do they decorate our ice creams and cakes, but they have a nostalgic feel everyone associates with childhood.
French confectioners used them as decorations back in the 1700s and beyond, but now everyone has access to these colorful little guys. They often make the perfect final touch.
These classic little treats aren’t only adorable to look at. They’re also tasty, and an incredibly intricate process is involved with getting these little dudes looking and tasting perfect.
How They’re Made
A wide variety of powder and liquid food colorants are used to create that signature sprinkle rainbow. Some other ingredients are shortening, water, and powdered sugar.
Large machines are used to mix together these ingredients. Exact amounts are necessary to get this looking perfect and ready for the next step… the mixing!
The machine will mix this all together to make a gorgeous, colorful dough. The dough goes along a conveyor into a chute, and then it makes its way to an extruder.
I think of the extruder almost like one of those Play-Doh hair kits. It pushes the dough through, creating strands. Then it’s moved through a tunnel to dry off.
Then that color of sprinkle moves into a holding vat with a pail, where it makes its way to a tumbler. After this comes the breaking apart and mixing together.
For the rest of the process watch the hypnotizing video by FOOD INSIDER below. I couldn’t believe this much work went into sprinkles!
