What is the best way to soak a biscuit? Simple cognac-sugar syrup for cake. Lemon syrup for sponge soaking

Biscuit is the basis of many confectionery masterpieces. But it’s not enough to cook tender and airy sponge cake, you still need to make it tasty. In order for the confectionery product to acquire juiciness and unique taste, it is worth taking care of the impregnation for the biscuit. Confectioners know many options for preparing the constituent confectionery product. Some recipes require special skills, but in general even a beginner can cope with preparing the impregnation.

How to make a sponge cake tender and juicy

Biscuit is airy dough, which during the preparation process requires special attention and strict adherence to recipes. But during baking, moisture evaporates from the dough. This makes the cakes too dry, and the note of originality in taste is lost.

In the process of preparing a confectionery masterpiece, it is worth correctly combining the taste of cream, biscuit and impregnation. Currently, impregnations made from elite alcoholic beverages are mainly used. This component will add piquancy and originality to the taste of the dessert, softening the cream cakes.

In order not to spoil the biscuit, you need to strictly adhere to the proportions at the time of applying the impregnation to the cakes. Ideal proportion is 1 part biscuit to 0.7 parts soaking and 1.2 parts cream.

What impregnation is better to prepare at home?

With development confectionery art Methods for preparing and processing sweets from this type of dough began to evolve. To avoid dryness of the cakes, in addition to cream, they also began to use sponge cake impregnation.

Preparing any impregnation for biscuit at home is very simple. No special devices or ingredients are needed. Most often, syrup is used as impregnation. The most standard option is sugar concentrate, which is prepared in 15 minutes. To diversify taste characteristics, add minor components: zest, alcohol, confectionery spices, flavorings.

Recipe for making a classic sponge cake topping

There is no problem with preparing the impregnation. Sometimes, due to lack of experience, the result may not meet the needs. The consistency may be too liquid or, conversely, thick and viscous. To avoid annoying mistakes, you should strictly adhere to the proportions.

Standard recipe Biscuit impregnation is the simplest option for preparing sugar syrup:

Place sugar and water in a small saucepan. It is advisable to take products in a 1:2 ratio.
Prepare the mixture for low heat. Bring the contents to a boil and cook until it thickens.
During the cooking process, you need to constantly stir the syrup and remove the foam if necessary.
Remove the pan from the heat and cool the contents completely.
When the impregnation has completely cooled, add flavorings or other components to it. Mix the ingredients well.

You cannot add additional ingredients to a hot mixture of sugar and water. Especially if these are flavorings, since the entire smell will disappear with the steam.

Alcohol impregnation from jam

It’s easy to prepare syrup for soaking sponge cakes at home, but you can simplify the preparation procedure even more of this component confectionery product. The principle of preparing impregnation:

You need to prepare 50 grams of vodka, 50 grams of jam or marmalade, 1 glass of water.
First you need to mix water and jam. It is better to take warm liquid - the jam will dissolve quickly and completely in it. Stir it until you get it homogeneous mass.
After stirring, you need to heat the mixture of water and jam over low heat. It is necessary to constantly stir the impregnation so that it does not stick or burn.
Remove the pan from the heat and cool the mixture completely.
When the jam and water have cooled, you need to pour vodka into the container and mix all the ingredients well.

The biscuit will acquire fruity notes and bright taste with a tart aftertaste.

The most popular types of syrups for impregnation

Syrup for impregnating the biscuit can be an original addition to the cream. There is a list of the most popular recipes, where the base is the usual sugar syrup:

Several options for auxiliary additives are often used in one syrup. The perfect combination is alcohol + syrup + citrus fruits. Coffee can harmonize with vanilla. White wine goes well with Cahors or cognac.

How to properly soak a prepared biscuit

Properly prepared sponge cake, ideal consistency of impregnation and delicious cream- this is not yet a guarantee of an ideal confectionery product. Impregnation for a biscuit can not only save it, but also significantly worsen its taste and appearance. To prevent this from happening, you need to properly process the cake.

The biscuit must be completely cooled. Even when the cake has completely cooled, you should not immediately apply impregnation - the product must stand and become more elastic. The exposure must be at least seven hours.

In order for the syrup to evenly saturate the cake, it is worth carrying out the procedure on a flat surface. To ensure that the impregnation completely passes through all the pores of the biscuit and does not collect in one place, it is better to cut off the top part of the cake. The procedure can be done with sewing thread. First, use toothpicks to make markings that will determine the level of the cut.

The cream is applied for impregnation after 2-3 hours. Confectionery product you will still need several hours of exposure in general view. Only after this the product will be saturated and combine all the tastes.

The biscuit is very tender and airy dessert. Both adults and children love him for his softness and unique taste. Creams and impregnations can be so varied that this delicious dessert will always remain welcome on any table.

You can make a sponge cake yourself, or you can buy a ready-made one, but so that it does not seem dry and emphasizes the taste and aroma of the filling, use sponge cake impregnation. Impregnations do not take much time to prepare, and the number of ingredients for them is minimal, but later you do not risk getting a dry and hard sponge cake that cannot be saved even a large number of cream.

To give a special aroma to the impregnation, alcoholic drinks are used. To soak a light sponge cake, it is better to use light wines, liqueurs or cognac, and for dark ones (coffee or chocolate) it is better to add red wine or cognac. Well, to the fruit biscuits - fruit impregnations. As for the cakes, you can.

Below are recipes for impregnations with cognac:

With lemon juice

Required ingredients:

Sugar (half a cup)
Lemon juice (1 tsp)
Water (half a glass)
Vanillin
Cognac (3 tsp)

With cherry juice

Required ingredients:

Cherry juice (half a glass)
Water (half a glass)
Cognac (3 tbsp)
Sugar (1 tbsp)

Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add to syrup Cherry juice, cognac. Stir.

With coffee

Required ingredients:

Cognac (2 tbsp)
Water (1.5 tbsp)
Sugar (1 tbsp)
Coffee (2 tbsp)

Pour water (1 tbsp) into the pan. Dissolve sugar in it, remembering to stir. Bring to a boil. Brew coffee in the remaining water (don't forget to strain), add it to the syrup. — other methods of preparing coffee impregnations for biscuits.

The video shows everything about soaking cakes:

Orange juice

Required ingredients:

Sugar (half a cup)
Orange juice (1 tbsp)
Cognac (2 tbsp)

Dissolve sugar in orange juice over heat, stirring. If you have orange zest, add it to the syrup for more flavor and aroma by cutting it into small pieces. Add cognac at the end. To make crusts you can try

For delicious juicy homemade cake It is not enough to coat the sponge cake with cream alone. Impregnations will significantly improve its taste. How to cook them?

Impregnation recipes

Several impregnation options are known:

For cooking classical impregnation for cakes, stir sugar in water in a ratio of 1:2 and bring to a boil. Cognac or liqueur is added to the resulting syrup.
When preparing impregnation for those who do not like too sweet, dilute sugar in water in a ratio of 1:3. Bring the resulting syrup to a boil and dip the bag into it. flavored tea. After a few seconds, the tea is pulled out and placed in the syrup. citric acid(at the tip of the knife). You can also add starch (for 1 liter of syrup you will need 10 grams of starch). When the syrup boils, remove it from the heat and add vanilla. Starch will add viscosity and remove excess sweetness.
Syrup from any jam is diluted with water to the desired sweetness. Then add alcohol to taste.
Any syrup is stirred with melted ice cream. An alcoholic drink is added to it.
You can purchase ready-made syrup and dilute it with water and sugar in a 2:1:1 ratio. But from " Maple syrup“It’s better to refuse: it gives the cakes a dirty color.

In hot weather, you need to put more sugar in the syrup than in cold weather, so that the cake is better preserved. In summer, to prepare syrup, take water and sugar in equal quantities, and in winter in a ratio of 2:1.

If the cake is prepared only for adults, then the cake layers can be soaked in liqueur or cognac.

Excellent soaking comes from the juice of canned peaches.

Impregnate chocolate sponge cake You can use any syrup, but it’s better to take one that contains alcohol. For impregnation orange sponge cake Boiled is ideal Orange juice, to which sugar is added and alcoholic drink. You can also mix regular sugar syrup with orange liqueur.

How to improve the quality of impregnation?

Essences and alcoholic beverages are used to flavor impregnations. When impregnated light biscuits enjoy light wines, liqueurs and cognacs, and coffee and chocolate - red wines and cognacs. Fruit biscuits flavored with fruit compotes.

How to calculate the amount of impregnation?

It is desirable that the ratio of the weight of the cake, impregnation and cream is 1: 0.3: 1.2. For example, if a biscuit weighs 400 grams ( classic sponge cake for 4 eggs), then you need to prepare 250-280 grams of impregnation.

Sometimes they use another scheme 1:0.3:1.2. But don’t get attached to these numbers, they are very arbitrary! The choice of ratio depends on what kind of cake you want: wet or not very wet. The amount of impregnation is also influenced by the type of sponge cake and cream, and the presence of fruit in the cake.

Classic sponge cake requires more syrup than vanilla cake. A cake coated with soufflé requires more soaking than a cake with curd cream.

In addition, the thickness of the biscuit is essential: the thicker it is, the more impregnation is needed.

If the biscuit consists of 3 layers, the bottom layer is soaked only a little, the middle one a little more, and the top one well. The impregnation between the cakes is distributed in the ratio 2:3:5.

It is better to turn the biscuit upside down, since the bottom surface is much smoother and does not need to be leveled.

Devices for soaking cakes

To impregnate the cakes, it is better to use a spray bottle. It is more convenient to hold in your hands; the syrup can be sprayed both vertically and horizontally. In addition, the thickness of the jet is regulated and all the syrup disperses.

Possible in lids plastic bottles make holes different sizes and apply them depending on how much you need to soak the cake.

Correcting errors

If you overdid it with the amount of impregnation and your cake “ran,” then it is recommended to place it on a clean sheet for a while: it will remove excess moisture.

An important question during the cooking process holiday dessert– what to soak in sponge cakes for the cake. The final result of the finished treat depends on this: and its appearance, and taste, and in general its quality. There are a lot of options and proper use of impregnation will help you create a delicious cake for a celebration or a simple home tea party.

What can you soak sponge cake layers with?

Impregnation for sponge cakes is a binding component that allows the base to harmoniously combine and be properly fixed with the soufflé, meringue or filling. You can prepare syrup or cream in several ways, each of which can be supplemented with interesting aromatic components.

Before soaking the sponge cake layers, you need to prepare the syrup or cream itself; they are used chilled. Warm soaking will soften the cake too much and the dessert will come out loose and possibly lose its shape.
Traditionally, sponge cake impregnation is prepared from sugar and water in a 2:3 ratio.
Add tea leaves to the base syrup (with aromatic additives), espresso, vanilla essence or fruit juices, replacing part of the water.
If you don’t have time to cook the syrup, what should you use to soak the sponge cakes for simple cake- the question is relevant, it will do liquid jam, or rather fruit syrup without pieces of fruit.
For a cake not intended for children, use alcohol impregnations. Cognac, brandy, rum, dessert wine or liqueur are added to the base syrup.
After applying the impregnation, the cakes should lie for about 20 minutes, only then can you add cream or filling.
It is important to keep track of what kind of cakes are used; if they are dry and loose, you will need a little more impregnation; if they are oily, then on the contrary you should not overdo it with the application of syrup.
You can apply the impregnation with a tablespoon, evenly distributing the syrup on the surface of the cake. A pastry brush is good for this; if the syrup is liquid and not creamy, you can use a spray bottle.

It’s not at all difficult to prepare, you need to follow the correct proportions: take 2 parts sugar to 3 parts water, cook over low heat until the crystals dissolve and be sure to cool before use. This basic recipe can be used in pure form or supplement with aromatic ingredients. The resulting syrup is enough to soak two cakes.

Ingredients:

sugar – 2 tbsp. l;
water – 3 tbsp. l.

Preparation

Pour water into a saucepan and add sugar.
Warm over low heat while stirring.
Do not boil, wait until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool until room temperature.

Cognac impregnation for sponge cakes is the most common option for soaking cakes; it comes out very aromatic with a pronounced alcoholic taste. In addition to the alcoholic drink, the recipe contains lemon juice, it will slightly balance out the sugary syrup, and vanilla essence will add new light aromatic notes to the finished dessert.

Ingredients:

water – 1 tbsp.;
sugar – 200 g;
vanilla essence – 1 tsp;
lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
cognac – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation

Dissolve sugar in water, simmer over low heat.
Pour in vanilla and lemon juice.
Cool to room temperature, add cognac, stir.

Easy and quick to prepare coffee impregnation for sponge cake with instant coffee. Included this recipe There is rum, it will add a slight bitterness, you can replace it if desired coffee liqueur or eliminate alcohol altogether. It is important to ensure that the granules are completely dissolved, otherwise the final taste of the dessert can be spoiled by coffee bitterness.

Ingredients:

sugar – 200 g;
water – 200 ml;
rum – 2 tbsp. l.;
coffee – 20 g.

Preparation

Mix sugar with half of the prepared water. Heat over low heat until the crystals dissolve.
Boil the remaining water, add coffee, mix well, cool.
Combine syrup with coffee, add rum, stir.

Crazy aromatic impregnation for a sponge cake without alcohol based on lemon juice can balance the taste of any, even the most sugary dessert; it will add light and pleasant freshness to the final delicacy. You can make syrup with juice and sugar alone or dilute it equally basic composition water. During cooking, the zest is also used, but when the impregnation is ready, it must be removed by straining through a sieve.

Ingredients:

lemon juice – 150 ml;
sugar – 100 g;
lemon zest – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation

Pour lemon juice into a saucepan, add sugar and zest.
Cook without waiting until the sugar has completely melted.
Strain the hot syrup through a sieve.
Applicable simple impregnation for chilled biscuits.

Impregnation for sponge cakes made from milk is simple and quick to prepare; the consistency and taste is more reminiscent of liquid cream. This syrup is well suited for softening white vanilla cakes; if the biscuits are chocolate, you can add a little cocoa or cocoa to the composition, the latter is introduced into the already cooled impregnation so that the aroma does not evaporate when heated.

Ingredients:

milk – 2 tbsp.;
sugar – 1 tbsp;
vanillin.

Preparation

Heat milk in a saucepan, add sugar and vanilla.
Stir constantly, avoid boiling.
When the sugar dissolves, set aside. Cool to room temperature.

Delicious cherry impregnation for sponge cakes is prepared from a base syrup, which is complemented alcoholic drinks. For a special aroma, cognac or brandy is used, the berries are well soaked in liqueurs and. This syrup is ideal for fluffy chocolate cakes. Cherries can be used fresh or frozen, canned or in own juice won't do.

Ingredients:

cherry – 100 g;
cherry liqueur – 50 ml;
water – 200 ml;
sugar – 100 g.

Preparation

Place cherries, sugar in a saucepan and add water.
Boil for 2-3 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Remove the berries, add the liqueur, stir.

The impregnation for sponge cake with honey is prepared quickly, simply, without any frills. Sugar is completely replaced with a natural sweetener, but it is important to remember that you cannot heat honey, so it is better to use liquid honey, honey or herbs will do. You should not use it, it has a characteristic bitterness and can ruin the final taste of the dessert.

Ingredients:

water – ½ cup;
honey – 100 g;
lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation

Heat the water to 50-60 degrees.
Add honey and mix well, pour in lemon juice.
You can use this syrup immediately after the honey has completely dissolved.

Alcohol impregnation for sponge cakes at home is prepared taking into account the chosen base. Not every syrup goes well chocolate cakes or with vanilla, for example. Liquor based ones turn out crazy flavored syrups, which soak and loosen the biscuit well. The following describes the basic recipe, which is enough to soak 2 cakes.

Ingredients:

sugar – 100 g;
water – 100 ml;
liqueur – 70 ml.

Preparation

Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and simmer until the sweetener is completely dissolved.
Cool to room temperature, add liqueur and mix well.
You can immediately soak the cakes with this syrup.

The ideal one is one made with cocoa, chocolate or liqueur; in the latter case, Baileys or Sheridans are suitable, they will perfectly highlight rich taste cakes. This syrup is prepared without water, it turns out thick, a little creamy, so soaking the biscuits themselves will take more time.

Ingredients:

condensed milk – 100 g;
cocoa – 1 tbsp. l.;
Baileys – 2 tbsp. l.;
soft butter – 50 g.

Preparation

Combine condensed milk and cocoa in a saucepan and mix.
Simmer in a water bath until a homogeneous mass is obtained.
Add oil, cook for a couple more minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes, pour in the liqueur, mix thoroughly.
This impregnation is applied warm.

Wine impregnation for biscuit – good way diversify the simple flavor of the cakes, but it is important to remember that red wine cannot be used for the white base, the taste will not be very pleasant, and the appearance of the dessert will lose its attractiveness. If dessert drinks with a rich, bright flavor are used for impregnation, the amount of sugar can be reduced.

To improve the taste and aroma of sponge cakes, pastries, and rum women, and also to give them juiciness, sweet flavored sugar syrups are used, with which these products are impregnated. Syrups used for soaking contain an average of 50% sugar. They are prepared from sugar and water, taken in approximately equal quantities (for 4 tablespoons of sugar, take 6 tablespoons of water).

Biscuit products with cream are flavored with soaking syrup with vanillin, cognac, white dessert wine, and coffee.
For biscuit products With fruit fillings use sugar syrup with fruit aromatic substances and, if necessary, slightly acidify with food acids.

After baking, it is advisable to keep the biscuit and baba for at least 7 hours and then soak them. Otherwise, they become soggy from the soaking syrups, become flabby and fall apart. During the impregnation process, sugar syrup is used cooled to room temperature.

Basic syrup for soaking

Place sugar and water in a saucepan according to the recipe. Stirring, bring the syrup to a boil and skim off the foam. Then cool the syrup (below 40 degrees), add flavorings and mix. It is impossible to flavor the syrup while it is hot, as this will lead to the evaporation of aromatic substances from it.
Fresh and canned are used for flavoring fruit juices, cognacs, liqueurs, vodka liqueurs, liqueurs, grape wines, fruit syrups, essences, etc. When adding juices, be careful not to dilute the sugar syrup too much.

In the recipes below for flavored soaking syrups, the dosage of additives, i.e. flavoring and flavoring agents, is designed for basic syrup prepared from 4 tbsp. spoons of sugar. If the amount of sugar in the syrup is different, the dosage of additives should be adjusted accordingly.

Apricot syrup for soaking
Add 1 tbsp to the main syrup. a spoonful of apricot liqueur or apricot liqueur.

Apple syrup
Add 1 tbsp to the main syrup. spoon of apple tincture.

Rum syrup
Add 2 teaspoons of strong syrup to the main syrup. dessert wine and a few drops of rum essence or 1 tbsp. spoon of rum.

Coffee syrup for soaking
Add 2 tbsp to the main syrup. spoons of coffee infusion. The syrup can be used to soak coffee sponge cake or coffee sponge cakes.

Cognac syrup
Add 2 tbsp to the main syrup. spoons of cognac.

Lemon syrup for impregnation
Add to the main syrup the juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon and the juice from the zest of 1/2 lemon or 1 tbsp. spoon lemon tincture or lemon liqueur.

Grape syrup for soaking
Add 1 tbsp to the main syrup. a spoonful of any white grape wine, such as table wine, port, Muscat, Riesling, Aligote, or amber wine - Madeira, Sherry, Marsala.

Vanilla syrup
To the main hot syrup add 5 - 6 vanillin crystals or a quarter of an unbroken vanilla stick, or 2 g vanilla sugar. To the cooled main syrup you can add 1 tbsp. spoon of vanilla liqueur.

Orange syrup for soaking
Add to the main syrup the juice squeezed from 1/2 orange and the juice from the zest of 1/2 orange or 1 tbsp. a spoonful of orange tincture.