Sugar is way more than just something sweet to add when you bake. It's like a special ingredient that helps everything work better! Here’s how sugar works its magic:

1. Flavor Boost: Sugar doesn’t just make things sweet. It adds extra flavor and makes baked goods taste better. It’s especially helpful in recipes with fruits that can be a bit tangy.

2. Keeps Things Moist: Sugar helps keep your goodies soft and moist. It grabs onto water, which is super important for cakes and cookies.

3. Golden Color: Have you seen that lovely golden color on cookies and cakes? That’s thanks to two cool processes called the Maillard reaction and caramelization. Sugar helps create that nice color and adds even more flavor.

4. Helps with Texture: Sometimes, sugar helps improve the texture. For example, it can make cookies chewy by helping to create gluten.

5. Makes Things Stable: In delicate treats like meringues, sugar helps everything hold together. It traps air and makes the texture light and fluffy.

So, the next time you bake something, remember that sugar does much more than just add sweetness!