Sugar syrup is used everywhere in cooking. It is also often used to prepare dishes for babies. It can be either an auxiliary ingredient or one of the key components of the dish. It would seem that what is so difficult about preparing a sugar solution? But there are also certain nuances here.
Syrup for soaking biscuits is prepared with the addition of flavoring using classical technology (sugar is added to water in a 1:1 ratio, the solution is brought to a boil, after the sugar is completely dissolved, a flavoring additive is added: juice, liqueur, tincture, vanillin or vanilla sugar).
How to prepare sugar syrup step by step:
So, to prepare the base solution you need:
- pour a liter of water into a clean bowl;
- add a kilogram of sugar;
- Boil over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and a homogeneous solution is formed;
- add necessary flavorings.
To soak the cake in syrup, you can add white wine (table wine, port, Muscat, Riesling) or amber wine - Madeira, sherry, Marsala. Lemon juice or lemon liqueur will add sourness. Classic cognac impregnation is created by adding two tablespoons of good cognac to the mixture.
How to make syrup with a specific flavor
Novice cooks often think about how to prepare sugar syrup for coffee impregnation. There is no difficulty here: just add coffee infusion (two tablespoons per liter) to the base solution, which can be prepared by pouring a teaspoon of ground coffee with half a glass of boiling water and covering it with a lid for 20 minutes. After this, it must be filtered and mixed with the base. This impregnation can be used to prepare coffee biscuits or cakes.
The recipe for sugar syrup for rum baba is also quite simple: just add a spoonful of rum per liter of solution to achieve a noticeable taste and aroma. Do not exceed the recommended dose, otherwise the baked goods will taste bitter. Proportions are important not only in the impregnation itself, but also in its relationship with the biscuit. So, for optimal impregnation, the mass of syrup should be 0.7 of the mass of the cake.
The syrup for impregnating cakes is considered ideal if it corresponds to historical proportions (recorded in the cookbook of Kengis and Markhel): two tablespoons of sugar should be three tablespoons of water. In total they make 100 g of syrup. And to dissolve sugar, you need to use dishes with a thick bottom.
How to make syrup from sugar - important secrets
While almost everyone knows how to properly cook sugar syrup, some of the nuances of its use are known only to professional cooks. For example, it is important to cool the solution to room temperature before soaking, but the cakes, on the contrary, must be still hot.
The proportions of sugar syrup vary, but there is a strict rule: you can add any flavorings only to a cooled solution, otherwise they will simply evaporate. Do not exceed the recommended amount of aromatic substances so as not to deteriorate the taste of the baked goods.
It is almost impossible to spoil syrup at home. It is advisable to use high-quality sugar for its preparation so that the solution is clean and transparent, without unpleasant impurities. Therefore, for such purposes, it is advisable to take packaged rather than loose granulated sugar.
In summer, for better impregnation of the biscuit, increased proportions of sugar are used, and in winter it is advisable to follow the standard recipe. Sweeter syrup will allow baked goods to last longer in hot conditions. The largest amount of syrup should fall on the top layer, decreasing towards the bottom.
Syrups are used not only for soaking biscuits, but also for vanilla cakes. But it is worth remembering that vanilla baked goods absorb less impregnation, so the proportions will differ to a lesser extent. A smaller amount of impregnation compared to soufflé is also needed when using curd-butter cream.
What else are syrups needed for?
Syrups can also be used to prepare a variety of cocktails. They are used in half of the cocktails. Due to the fact that sugar cannot be fully dissolved in a small amount of alcohol, syrup becomes indispensable. Often, to prepare such syrups, regular and cane sugar are taken in equal proportions.
There is nothing more delicious for children than lemonade. Sugar syrup is also used for its preparation. On average, it is recommended to take half a glass of sugar per liter of finished lemonade. However, this proportion is a matter of taste; some prefer sweeter drinks, others prefer to minimize the sugar content.
In any case, after adding the syrup, the lemonade must be cooled, because the optimal serving temperature for this drink is 8–10 o C. After cooling, you can additionally add pieces of ice - this method will also help to dilute the overly sugary drink. This is the perfect way to quench your thirst!
To make jam you need a clear and viscous syrup. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the fruits from which the jam is made: the sweeter they are, the less sugar should be added to the syrup. For strawberries and apricots, it is necessary to minimize the sugar content, but for cherries or plums it is worth taking more.
A good thick syrup is the key to tasty jam that can be stored for a long time. It is important to maintain proportions and not skimp on sugar. For example, for plum jam you will need 1.5 kg of sugar per glass of water (you must also take into account that the plum will give abundant juice, which will also dilute the syrup).
Making homemade wine by adding sugar syrup has its advantages: the fermentation process in this case is more active, and the taste characteristics of the wine are softer. Therefore, it is worth trying to replace sugar with syrup in the required proportions.
Using syrup, you can prepare original candied fruits or caramelize nuts to prepare a healthy treat, a complete replacement for sweets. This is especially true for the New Year holidays, when you want to please your loved ones with original treats. Sometimes juices are used in syrups instead of water: in this way you can create an aromatic impregnation with a pronounced taste.
As you can see, the technology for preparing a sugar solution is quite primitive and accessible even to a novice housewife, but the possibilities for using syrup are practically unlimited. Just by replacing regular sugar with a solution, we get much more interesting dishes and flavor options.
1. Very tasty impregnation:
Cranberry vodka "Finlandia" transparent (it's better not to take red, it has dye) - 50 g
- Homemade pear jam - 2 tbsp. l.
- Cold boiled water - 250 ml
Mix all the ingredients and pour over the prepared biscuit.
2. Syrup for soaking biscuits:
Sugar - 5 tbsp. l.
- Liqueur, or tinctures, or water - 7 tbsp. spoons
- Cognac - 1 tbsp. l.
Pour sugar into a saucepan and add water. Stirring, bring the syrup to a boil. Then it is cooled and aromatic substances are introduced: any liqueur or tincture, vanillin, cognac, coffee infusion, any fruit essences.
3. Chocolate soaking:
Butter - 100 g
- Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp. l.
- Condensed milk - half a can
The impregnation is prepared in a water bath. To do this, you need to pour water into a large saucepan and put it on the fire. And inside the large pan, place a pan of a smaller diameter in which to prepare the impregnation.
Place all the soaking ingredients in a smaller saucepan, cut the butter into pieces so that it melts faster.
To stir thoroughly. But don't bring it to a boil. I use a mixer. Soak the cake with hot impregnation, preferably a warm or hot cake.
4. Currant impregnation for jam cake:
Currant syrup - 0.5 cups
- Sugar - 2 tbsp. l.
- Water - 1 glass.
This impregnation is used for the “Negro in Foam” cake. But it can also be used in other cakes in combination with sour cream. Impregnation preparation is standard. Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
5. Impregnation for cake:
Sugar - 250 g
- Water - 250 ml
- Cahors - 2 tbsp. l.
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp.
- Vanillin.
Boil water in a saucepan, add sugar, stir until completely dissolved.
Bring the syrup to a boil, add vanillin and lemon juice.
Cool the finished syrup.
6. Coffee syrup:
Water - 1 glass
- Cognac - 1 tbsp. l.
- Ground coffee - 2 tbsp. l.
- Sugar - 1 glass.
Sugar is poured with water (half a glass) and heated until the sugar grains dissolve; the dissolved syrup is brought to a boil, coffee is brewed with the remaining amount of water (half a glass), which is placed on the edge of the stove for infusion. After 15–20 minutes, the coffee is filtered, and the pure coffee infusion is poured along with cognac into sugar syrup, which is thoroughly stirred and cooled.
7. Soaking with green tea and lemon:
Brew green tea, add lemon juice. When cool, soak the cakes.
8. Pineapple soak:
Made with syrup from canned pineapples. I do it by eye. Dilute the syrup a little with water, add lemon juice, a drop of cognac for flavor and simmer for just a couple of minutes.
9. Milk impregnation No. 1:
Fill a can of condensed milk with 3 cups of boiling water. Add vanilla, let cool and soak the cakes very generously.
10. Milk impregnation No. 2:
3 tbsp. Bring milk to a boil with 1 tbsp. (250 ml) sugar
11. Lemon soak:
1 cup boiling water + half a lemon, cut into slices + 3 teaspoons sugar + vanilla. I let it brew and it just cooled down. I ate the lemons and used the liquid.
12. Orange syrup:
Finely shredded peel of one orange
- Orange juice - 1/2 cup
- Sugar - 1/4 cup
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, or until syrup has reduced by half. Soak the cakes warm.
13. Cherry impregnation:
Pour about 1/3 cherry juice into a cup, add 1-2 tbsp. l. sugar, 3–4 tbsp. l. cognac and add water so that the total amount of impregnation is approximately 1 cup. I calculated the amount of impregnation for a multi-layered layer; if you are making one cake, half a portion will be enough for you.
If you decide to treat yourself to a homemade cake, the impregnation for the sponge cake plays a decisive role. Thanks to it, homemade baked goods will become tender, aromatic, and original. Baking a sponge cake according to one recipe, but changing the impregnation, will always result in a new dessert.
To avoid spoiling the cake, you must follow the recommendations exactly. For a sponge cake that weighs 900 g, you will need approximately 580 g of syrup.
Ingredients:
- granulated sugar – 12 tbsp. spoon;
- warm water – 18 tbsp. spoons
Preparation:
- It is necessary to use a container that has a thick bottom. It should be doused with cold water.
- Pour in water, add sugar. Set fire to minimum. Stir the syrup constantly; for convenience, you can use a silicone spatula.
- When the last crystal of sugar has dissolved, boil, skimming off any foam that appears.
- Remove from heat.
- Cool.
Coffee soak recipe
This impregnation is a good option for nut cakes or with chocolate-based cream.
Ingredients:
- sugar – 55 g;
- rum – 1 teaspoon;
- coffee – 11 g;
- water – 250 ml boiling water.
Preparation:
- Pour boiling water into a cup, add coffee, stir.
- Pour in granulated sugar.
- Cool slightly.
- To give the biscuit a special flavor, add rum. Mix.
For the chocolate sponge cake
Impregnation for chocolate sponge cake with cherries will make the delicacy unforgettable. The cake becomes soft, tender with a multifaceted and bright taste.
Ingredients:
- Cherry juice – 3 tbsp. spoons;
- sugar – 12 tbsp. spoon;
- water – 18 tbsp. spoons
Preparation:
- Pour sugar into the prepared saucepan and fill it with water.
- Now you need to stay close to the stove and stir constantly. Cook on low heat.
- Wait until it boils.
- Remove from the stove.
- Cool.
- Pour in cherry juice and stir.
If you pour juice into hot syrup, the aroma of cherries will disappear and the impregnation will lose its enchanting smell and taste.
With cognac
If you want to give a pleasant experience to a gourmet and connoisseur of good alcoholic drinks, prepare a cake with a subtle aftertaste and exquisite aroma of cognac. Cognac impregnation is good in combination with oil-based cream.
Ingredients:
- sugar – 150 g;
- cognac – 75 ml (can be replaced with dessert wine);
- water – 220 ml.
Preparation:
- Place granulated sugar in a saucepan and add water.
- Place on low heat and gradually bring to a boil.
- Cool.
- Pour in alcoholic drink. Mix everything.
Creamy impregnation
An impregnation that will give the biscuit a fantastic aroma and amazing taste.
Ingredients:
- condensed milk – 1.5 cups;
- heavy cream – 250 ml;
- vanilla sugar;
- milk – 370 g.
Preparation:
- Pour the amount of milk and cream into the pan.
- Add condensed milk and stir.
- Boil the composition.
- Add vanilla sugar.
- For lovers of wet cakes, soak the sponge cake immediately.
- If you want a wet result, cool the impregnation first.
How to make it from sour cream?
To prevent the treat from coming out dry, you should soak the biscuit. The best way to get tender and juicy homemade baked goods is to prepare a sour cream-based sauce.
Ingredients:
- sugar – 150 g;
- vanilla sugar – 30 g;
- sour cream – 970 ml.
Preparation:
- Place granulated sugar in a container.
- Pour in sour cream, stir.
- Sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
- Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Remove and whisk until the sugar crystals are completely dissolved.
Caramel syrup
This amazing syrup can be used to soak the most delicate biscuits, pour over ice cream, and add to cocktails. Of course, you can buy this sweetness in the store, but homemade syrup will turn out natural and will be much tastier.
Ingredients:
- sugar – 820 g;
- vanilla – 4 g;
- water – 1.25 liters.
Preparation:
- Prepare a dry pan.
- Pour sugar (620 g) into it and place it on the burner.
- Gradually warm up the granulated sugar. When exposed to temperature, it will melt and then acquire a beautiful brown tint.
- Pour in water. This process should be treated very carefully. Pour in a small stream, protecting exposed parts of the body. When hot sugar and water interact, the liquid may splash.
- Mix.
- Pour in the rest of the granulated sugar and sprinkle with vanilla.
- Boil. The sugar should completely dissolve, then the mass will thicken.
- Remove from stove.
- Strain through a sieve.
- Cool.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared container.
- Place in the refrigerator.
- To ensure that the impregnation is perfect and does not spoil the baked goods, follow the recommendations.
- Before use, it is recommended to cool the composition to medium temperature.
- You cannot add flavorings to hot impregnation, otherwise they will simply evaporate.
- It is better to soak the impregnation for a day before using it.
- If the weather is hot, the amount of sugar needs to be increased. For the winter season, follow the recipe recommendations.
- Soak the bottom layer less than the other layers. Use the main part of the impregnation on the top cake.
- If you have prepared a vanilla sponge cake, it requires less impregnation than a regular one.
- A cake with soufflé filling requires more soaking, so prepare more syrup in advance.
- A treat with cottage cheese and cream will require less syrup.
- It is easier to distribute the impregnation with a spray bottle. If you don’t have such a device on your farm, you can use a brush; the wider, the more convenient.
- After soaking, the baked goods should be kept in a cool place for several hours.
In American pastry traditions, it is customary to use thick sponge cake layers coated with butter cream for cakes. For our sweet tooth, this is absolutely unacceptable, so we often use cake impregnation, which gives the dessert juiciness and tenderness.
To be fair, it should be noted that not all types of biscuits require impregnation. “Red Velvet”, “Hummingbird”, “Chiffon sponge cakes”, “Dark Larry” are quite moist, but a classic sponge cake cannot be made into a delicious cake without moistening.
Thus, sugar type of impregnation is the most popular and most budget-friendly. It is easy to prepare, and the syrup contains only water, sugar and alcohol (cognac, rum, port or liqueur).
Since cakes of different diameters, and therefore weights, will require different amounts of liquid for soaking, it is convenient to use proportions per 100 g of finished sugar syrup, in which a tablespoon is used as a measure of weight and volume.
Thus, for the specified amount of sugar impregnation you will need:
- 3 tablespoons water;
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar;
- ½ spoon of cognac.
Preparation steps:
- Place sugar and water in a thick-bottomed bowl over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. So that the resulting syrup does not have to be soaked while stirring, you need to make sure that sugar crystals do not get on the walls.
- The boiled solution can be immediately removed from the stove, or you can let it bubble for a few minutes, cool a little and add alcohol.
With berries and cognac
Syrup for soaking the cake can be made with the addition of berries. Depending on the chosen base, the finished dessert will have its own unique taste. So, the taste of cherry goes well with chocolate biscuit.
To prepare cherry impregnation with cognac, you must prepare:
- 75 g of fresh pitted cherries;
- 220 ml water;
- 55 g sugar;
- 30 ml cognac.
Progress:
- Place the washed berries without stems and seeds in a saucepan, fill them with water and bring to a boil. Boil for two to three minutes and let cool at room temperature to 30 – 35 degrees.
- Remove all the berries from the warm broth (if they are small, you can simply strain through a sieve), add sugar, pour in cognac and stir. As soon as the last sweet crystal dissolves, the impregnation is ready.
With caramel flavor from condensed milk
Boiled condensed milk has a pleasant caramel taste, but in its pure form it cannot be used to soak cakes, since this product is too thick.
Therefore, it will have to be diluted a little with milk in the following ratio:
- 150 g boiled condensed milk;
- 150 g milk;
- 15 ml cognac.
Cooking method:
- Place a fireproof container with milk on the fire and warm it up a little, then add boiled condensed milk and stir thoroughly until it melts completely.
- After this, cool the milk-caramel impregnation and mix with cognac. The result is a coffee-colored solution with a pleasant tart taste.
Coffee impregnation for cake with milk
Coffee lovers will love the juicy biscuits soaked in a sweet coffee solution with the addition of milk. The specific aroma will perfectly complement and highlight the taste of chocolate cakes.
To prepare this impregnation, you will need:
- 36 g natural ground coffee;
- 180 g granulated sugar;
- 125 ml water;
- 125 mo of milk;
- 15 – 20 ml cognac or coffee liqueur.
Sequence of actions:
- Combine milk with sugar and heat over heat until the sweet grains of sand are completely dissolved.
- Brew coffee in the specified amount of milliliters of water. After boiling, set the Turk with the aromatic drink aside for 15 - 20 minutes to let it brew.
- Strain the finished coffee, mix with sweet milk and liqueur.
Made with lemon juice
Lemon soak is suitable for classic, vanilla or Queen Victoria sponge cakes. In the hot season, you should definitely add a little alcohol to it, which will act as a preservative and help keep the dessert fresh longer.
If you are concerned that the mixture for soaking the cakes will be too sour, you can use other citrus fruits (for example, orange or lime).
Proportions of products in the syrup:
- 250 ml water;
- 90 g sugar;
- ½ lemon (juice and zest);
- 30 ml cognac.
How to prepare sugar syrup for soaking a cake with lemon juice:
- In a small saucepan or saucepan, combine water with sugar. Place the sweet solution on the fire and bring to a boil.
- While the syrup is boiling, thinly zest the lemon and squeeze out the juice. The sugar and water should boil for 4 - 5 minutes, then you need to remove the saucepan from the stove, add juice and zest to its contents, cover the mixture with a lid and leave until it cools completely.
- Strain the cooled impregnation, add cognac, mix and use for its intended purpose.
Not only should the soaked cakes cool down, but they themselves should not be hot. It’s good that they rest in the refrigerator, wrapped in cling film, for at least several hours.
Based on honey
You can replace the usual sugar in the impregnation with honey. Not only connoisseurs of this beekeeping product know that one or another variety (floral, buckwheat, herbs, acacia) can differ significantly in taste and make the taste of baked goods unique.
To prevent this syrup from becoming too cloying, it is recommended to add a little orange or lemon juice to it, which will balance out the excess sweetness.
One portion of this solution contains:
- 150 ml water;
- 40 – 50 g honey;
- ½ orange;
- 30 ml cognac.
Preparation:
- Squeeze juice from half a citrus fruit using any available method. Combine it with water, bring to a boil, and then let cool to a temperature below 60 degrees. Only at this temperature regime are all the beneficial substances that honey is rich in preserved.
- Add honey and cognac to the slightly cooled base, mix everything until smooth and you can start soaking the biscuits.
Honey impregnation will be an ideal complement for light cakes layered with sour cream.
Milk impregnation for cake
The popular milk dip can be made in two different ways: from whole cow's milk and sugar, or from water and condensed milk. Which one to choose can only be determined by your own taste preferences, and below will be given the proportions and algorithm for preparing each type.
For the first version of syrup you will need:
- 200 ml milk of any fat content;
- 60 g granulated sugar.
Preparation:
- Combine milk with sugar and boil for about two minutes.
- Then cool the sweet milk mixture to room temperature and it is ready.
The composition of milk impregnation with condensed milk includes:
- 200 ml condensed milk;
- 225 ml water;
- vanilla to taste.
Cooking technology:
- Bring water to a boil on the stove; the liquid should gurgle vigorously.
- Place condensed milk into a container of suitable capacity, pour boiling water over it, add vanilla and mix.
- The cooled syrup can be used to soak the cakes.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=—ZH06kSpHY
Chocolate syrup for soaking cake layers
This type of soaking of cakes is a true chocoholic’s dream. It will not only make the biscuit juicy, but will also greatly enhance its chocolate taste.
This syrup is prepared from:
- 120 ml water;
- 30 ml of cognac or other alcohol;
- 150 g sugar (it is better to take brown);
- 35 g cocoa powder;
- 1 – 2 g vanillin;
- 3 g salt.
How to make chocolate soak:
- Pour cocoa powder into a saucepan. Then add water little by little and stir so that there are no lumps. Next, with constant stirring, heat the mixture until the components are completely melted.
- After this, add sugar, stir it, add salt and vanillin.
- Boil the syrup for about three minutes after boiling.
- Like other syrups, chocolate impregnation is used after cooling.
The method of applying the impregnation is of great importance for the juiciness of the finished cake. In order for the cakes to be evenly saturated with syrup, it does not need to be applied with a spoon; the best result will be achieved if you use a pastry brush or a spray bottle.
To flavor the syrup, you can use fresh and canned fruit juices, liqueurs, tinctures, liqueurs, grape wines, fruit syrups, essences, etc. When adding juices, make sure that the sugar syrup does not dilute too much.
Syrup flavoring options:
Apricot syrup
Add 1 tablespoon of apricot liqueur or apricot liqueur to the main syrup.
Orange syrup
Add the juice of half an orange or 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur to the main syrup.
Vanilla syrup
Add 5-6 vanillin crystals or 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar to the main hot syrup. You can add 1 tablespoon of vanilla liqueur to the cooled base syrup.
Grape syrup
Add to the main syrup 1 tablespoon of any white grape wine, such as table wine, port, Muscat, Riesling or amber wine - Madeira, sherry, Marsala.
Lemon syrup
Add the juice of half a lemon or 1 tablespoon of lemon liqueur to the main syrup.
Cognac syrup
Add 1-2 tablespoons of high-quality cognac to the main syrup.
Coffee syrup
Add 2 tablespoons of coffee infusion to the main syrup. (For coffee infusion, take 1 teaspoon of natural ground coffee, pour in 0.5 cups of boiling water, cover the glass and leave for 20 minutes. Strain the coffee through double-folded gauze and let it sit for ~10 minutes. After that, drain the clean infusion, without sediment - it you can flavor the syrup). The syrup is used to flavor sponge cake and coffee sponge cakes.
Rum syrup
Add 1 tablespoon of rum to the main syrup.
Enjoy your meal!
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