Biscuit impregnation - the best syrup recipes at home

Recently I was visiting and witnessed a funny thing. The owner of the house loudly boasted that his wife was a master baker. She often bakes biscuits and does not repeat them, each time using a new recipe. The hostess chuckled, and then admitted in confidence that the baked goods were the same, according to the classic recipe , but the impregnation for the biscuit was different.

A delicious biscuit dessert has three components - the recipe itself, the cream that layers it, we have already become familiar with its recipes, and the syrup with which the cakes are soaked. What is it for? To moisten the biscuit, soften its top crust that appears during baking, at the same time removing the characteristic dryness of the cakes inside. Particularly popular are chocolate, milk, coffee, lemon, vanilla, tea, and honey.

Simple impregnation for sponge cakes at home - secrets

The main goal of the pastry chef is not to harm or make the biscuit heavier. The purpose of the impregnation syrup is to impart aroma, a light additional flavor note. Therefore, carefully observe the proportions of ingredients so as not to spoil the dessert.

Basic classic syrup consists only of water and sugar, and is the basis for preparing any homemade impregnation. You can add a lot of ingredients to the base that will make the syrup original and unique. Depending on the additional components, impregnation is divided into two categories:

• Impregnation with alcohol.
• No alcohol content.

1. For the impregnation process to be perfect, the sponge cake and syrup must cool completely and be at the same temperature. The rule has exceptions, which are indicated in each case in the recipe.
2. It is also necessary to stand for a while because after heat treatment the taste of the mixture should stabilize a little.
3. The natural moisture of the sponge cake will be preserved if immediately after baking the cakes are cooled slightly, then wrapped in cling film and placed on the refrigerator shelf for 6-8 hours.
4. Do not apply cream immediately after soaking the cakes. Be sure to pause for about 20-30 minutes.
5. Soaked cakes must sit for at least 6 hours before serving.

I would like to introduce you to another wonderful dessert - Japanese Castella sponge cake , go to the recipe, it is very tasty.

How to soak a biscuit with cognac: preparing syrup, application methods

In many cake recipes you can find the following phrase: “Next, soak the cakes in cognac...”.
And this is mentioned as if it is the most basic action that even a novice cook can handle. But that's not true. If you pour cognac onto the dough, the cakes will become very soft, and they will give off an overly alcoholic smell. In this article we will tell you step by step how to soak a biscuit with cognac. To do this, of course, you need to prepare the liquid itself. And cognac will be just one of the ingredients in it. There are many recipes for such impregnations. Cognac gives them only aroma and a slight taste. Is impregnation necessary anyway? If your cake requires liquid cream (for example, custard), you can do without it. But impregnation can restore a “second youth” to a dried out biscuit. It is also necessary for cakes with thick cream. And you can’t do without it at all when preparing rum baba.

Sugar syrup for soaking sponge cakes - a classic recipe

The classic simple syrup contains only sugar and water and is quick and easy to make.

We take:

• Granulated sugar - 2 large spoons.
• Water – 3 large spoons.

How to cook:

Pour sand into a saucepan and fill with water.

Place the container on the burner and turn the heat to moderate.

Bring to a boil. Stir the contents constantly to help the sugar crystals dissolve. If foam appears, remove. When the syrup boils, immediately turn on the stove.

Let the impregnation cool slowly on the table to room temperature.

As an example, I give you two variations for preparing alcohol-free syrup with filler.

Recipe No. 1. Cherry.

• Water – 75 ml., sugar – 150 g., cherries – 75 g.

Squeeze the juice from the cherries, mix with the remaining ingredients and boil until boiling. Be sure to refrigerate.

Recipe No. 2. Mint.

• Water – 150 ml., sugar – 150 g., mint sprigs – 2 pcs.

The process is the same, add mint leaves, boil the mixture and cool.

If you want to make a syrup with alcohol, use cherry or mint liqueur instead of natural ingredients and add to the chilled base to taste.

How to properly soak a sponge cake using homemade syrup?

Above we have presented several options for how to make sugar syrup at home. However, this is not enough to ensure that you get a delicious and as tender cake as possible. Therefore, we decided to tell you about how to properly soak biscuits with ready-made syrups.

First of all, we need to determine what kind of cakes we have. In other words, you should identify dry or wet biscuits. In the first case, you will need quite a lot of self-prepared syrup. If your cakes are wet and greasy, then impregnation can be used in a minimal amount.

A regular spray bottle sprays sugar syrup quite well and evenly over the surface of the biscuit. However, you should fill it with still warm impregnation, otherwise it will not pass through the tube.

If a spray bottle is not at hand, then the homemade cake can be soaked using usually a dessert spoon. Use it to scoop out sugar syrup in small quantities. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the impregnation is distributed evenly throughout the biscuit. Otherwise, in one place the cake will remain somewhat dry, and in another it will simply flow.

If using a small spoon seems inconvenient for you, then this confectionery procedure can be carried out using a regular culinary brush.

As soon as the sponge cake is completely soaked in granulated sugar, and also covered with cream and decorated with various confectionery powders, the finished cake is put into the refrigerator for 5-6 hours, or even better, overnight. In the morning, the cakes will soften well, become tender and very tasty.

Impregnation for chocolate biscuit

Chocolate impregnation for sponge cakes with cocoa is incredibly popular among chefs. It can be made simply, or diluted with alcohol.

Take:

• Cocoa powder – 50 gr.
• Granulated sugar – 150 gr.
• Water – 200 ml.
• Rum – 20 ml.
• Vanilla essence – a couple of drops.

Step by step recipe:

Pour cocoa powder into a saucepan. Add sugar and stir.

Fill with water. Place on the stove.

Start heating over medium heat. Stir the contents continuously, lifting the sugar from the bottom and at the same time breaking up any lumps of cocoa powder. Adjust the fire according to the situation. Start with full, then, when it comes to boiling, turn it down, gradually making it very quiet.

You will have to stir almost continuously. When the impregnation begins to rise, do it vigorously so that the syrup does not run away. When you realize that it is already boiling, immediately turn off the burner, but do not remove the saucepan - let the contents gurgle quietly.

Pour in the rum and stir.

Add vanilla essence. Drip to taste.

Remove the saucepan from the stove and leave to cool to room temperature.

Then pour the biscuit generously and wait until it is soaked.

Milk syrup

As a rule, even the fluffiest sponge cake without “wetting” ends up tasteless. Milk syrup will saturate the biscuit and at the same time give the cake a creamy taste, and notes of vanilla - a special aroma. Milk-based impregnation can be confidently used for store-bought (purchased) cakes.

Milk syrup

There are many recipes for milk impregnation: from plain, condensed or concentrated milk, cream or sour cream. After dilution with vanillin, all impregnations have the same refined taste.

According to this recipe, there is enough milk syrup for a cake with a diameter of more than 20 cm.

Recipe for cognac soaking syrup

Cognac syrup is especially popular in home baking of cakes and pastries. It turns out aromatic, with a slight aftertaste of alcohol.

Necessary:

• Cognac – 2 tablespoons.
• Sugar – 200 gr.
• Water - a glass.
• Vanilla essence – teaspoon.
• Lemon juice - a tablespoon.

Cooking:

1. Pour sugar into water. Over moderate heat, with continuous stirring, dissolve the granulated sugar.
2. Pour in lemon juice and vanilla essence. Stir and remove from heat. It is not necessary to bring to a boil.
3. When the syrup has cooled, pour in the cognac, stir and pour generously over the sponge cakes.

Recipe with cognac or rum

It is a well-known fact that high-quality alcoholic drinks enhance the taste of sweets, giving them a noble tone. Typically, cognac impregnation is traditionally used for sponge cakes and even hardened cakes are impregnated with it. However, syrup with cognac or rum can add a piquant and light aroma to other baked goods.

Recipe with cognac or rum

Ingredients:

• 150 g granulated sugar;
• 150 ml water;
• 4 tbsp. l. cognac or rum;

Recipe:

1. Pour water into a saucepan and boil.
2. Add sugar and cook sugar syrup for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool.
4. Add alcohol (rum, cognac or liqueur) and stir.

You should know that when using tart sweet cream for a cake, the amount of sugar in the impregnation can be slightly reduced. In the syrup for soaking biscuits, which uses strong drinks, you can add juices of berries or fruits, dilute regular jam with water, etc.

Caramel syrup for soaking sponge cake

Ideal for home-baked chocolate sponge cake.

Ingredients:

• Water – 65 ml.
• Sugar – 225 gr.
• Cream 33% – 250 ml.
• Butter.

Preparation:

1. Combine sugar and water and place on the stove. Stir until the crystals have completely dissolved.
2. When this happens, turn up the heat as high as possible. Cook until the mixture turns a nice amber color. There is no need to stir the mixture during this process.
3. Remove the saucepan and slowly pour in the warm cream while quickly stirring the contents. Don't be alarmed when the syrup starts to shoot and bubble a lot. Continue stirring until the bubbles calm down.
4. Place a piece of butter and let it melt.

Secrets of using impregnation

Having become familiar with different recipes for preparing impregnations, it is important to follow several technical rules for processing biscuits. There are a number of important secrets of proper soaking that allow you to get beautiful, fluffy, smooth and, at the same time, juicy cakes.

Secrets of using impregnation

• First of all, it is necessary to determine the required volume of impregnation.
• It is advisable to cool many impregnations before direct application.
• If you need to include food aromatic additives in the impregnation, then they should only be added to the cooled solution, otherwise the “incense” will simply evaporate.
• Not all soaking syrups need to be used immediately after preparation; It is advisable to leave many for 24 hours before use.
• The effectiveness of impregnation is influenced by the following factors: the amount of ingredients used, the total number of cake layers and their thickness, as well as the type of cream and other cake fillings (fruits, berries, nuts).
• The main component of impregnations is granulated sugar or powdered sugar, so these components must be of good quality.
• Cakes with standard biscuits and soufflé filling with a large amount of sweet liquid, so it is necessary to take this nuance into account when preparing.
• Milk, honey or citrus impregnations are suitable for confectionery products with custard and butter creams, and for chocolate custards - coffee, cherry or currant impregnations, confiture and jam are combined with liqueur and berry-fruit fillings.
• In the hot season, to increase the shelf life of baked goods, it is necessary to increase the amount of sugar in liquid impregnations, and in other cases, adhere to the standard recipe.
• The main emphasis when soaking the cake layers is on the very top layer: most of the syrup is soaked in it, and a little of the soaking syrup goes to the very bottom layer.
• To evenly apply the impregnation to the biscuit, you can use a regular brush (silicone) or a kitchen spray bottle, spraying the cakes from all sides.
• Be sure to put the finished product in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours, carefully wrapping it in cling film for better moisture and juiciness.
• It is necessary to choose the right syrup recipe for the biscuit, since often liquid impregnation or too thick one can spoil the taste of the confectionery product.
• A frequently used ingredient, cognac can affect the color of the sponge cake, so it should be used mainly for dark sponge cakes, while liqueur or dessert wines are suitable for other cake layers.

Biscuits are rightfully considered the most popular and delicious confectionery products, and for the purpose of soaking them, many syrups have been created, simple and accessible for preparation at home. Various impregnations transform sweets, giving them such airiness and softness that they simply melt in the mouth.

Honey impregnation

Everything is as simple as possible: regular sugar is replaced with honey. And the taste of the cakes will change beyond recognition.

Required:

• Water – 100 ml.
• Honey – 100 gr.
• Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons.

How to do:

1. Do not forget that at high temperatures honey loses its beneficial properties. Therefore, proceed with extreme caution.
2. Dissolve honey in water and add lemon juice.
3. Then heat on the stove to 50 o C, no more.
4. Cool and soak the biscuits.

TOP 10 methods of impregnation

There are many impregnation options. If it’s difficult to decide which cake to choose which flavor, then there are general recommendations.

So, citrus, milk, honey, and berry flavors are suitable for cakes with butter or custard; for creams with condensed milk - vanilla, berry-fruit, soaked with rum or cognac; for chocolate cream - cherry, currant, coffee, cognac; for layers based on confiture and jam - liqueur, berry and fruit.

As you can see, there are many options for soaking sponge cake layers. All that remains is to decide on a suitable recipe.

Base syrup

When you just need to soak a sponge cake to make it juicy, without giving them additional flavor shades, use base syrup. It is neutral in taste and will suit any biscuit.

✍ You will need:

• 4 tablespoons of sugar (80 grams);
• 6 tablespoons water (108 ml);
• optional ½ teaspoon vanilla sugar.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the ladle or small saucepan with cold water, add sugar, add water, and place on low heat.
2. Stirring constantly, wait until the sugar crystals completely dissolve. Stop stirring and let the syrup boil. Skim off any foam that appears, remove from heat, and cool. Add vanilla sugar to the still warm syrup if desired.

You need to start soaking the cakes when both the syrup and the sponge cake have cooled completely.

Video recipe for syrup for soaking a cake

Coffee impregnation

Suitable for chocolate biscuits with buttercream.

✍ You will need:

• glass of water;
• half a glass of sugar;
• 2 tablespoons of freshly ground coffee;
• optionally a tablespoon of cognac.

Preparation:

1. Pour out half the amount of water and brew unsweetened coffee. Let it brew for 15-20 minutes, strain.
2. Boil syrup from the remaining water and sugar.
3. Combine coffee with syrup and cool. If children will not eat the dessert, you can additionally flavor it with a tablespoon of cognac.

Any alcohol is added only to completely cooled syrup, because high temperatures cause it to lose some of its strength and taste.

Cherry impregnation

Also good for chocolate sponge cake.

✍ You will need:

• glasses of water;
• 2-2.5 tablespoons of sugar;
• 100 grams of fresh cherries;
• 2 tablespoons of cognac.

Preparation:

1. Wash the cherries, remove the stems, place in a saucepan, add water, and cook over low heat. When the cherries shrivel and turn the water a rich red color, remove the berries with a slotted spoon.
2. Add sugar to the cherry water, let it dissolve, remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour cognac into the syrup cooled to room temperature.

If you use frozen cherries, you must first defrost them on a sieve so that excess moisture is removed and the proportions of liquid and sugar are not disturbed.

Milk impregnation

Suitable for cakes with buttercream.

See also: Which creams are suitable for which cakes [recommendations from confectioners]

✍ You will need:

• 150 ml milk;
• 80 grams of condensed milk;
• one and a half dessert spoons of tincture or liqueur to taste.

Preparation:

1. Pour milk into a ladle and heat over medium heat.
2. Add condensed milk to warm milk and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil, let simmer gently for exactly one minute. Remove from the burner. Cool, add tincture or liqueur.

If only condensed milk is available and regular milk is not available, you can proceed as follows. Boil 120 ml of water, pour 100 ml of condensed milk with boiling water, stir until smooth.

Berry jam impregnation

It will add richness to the cake with neutral-tasting cream.

✍ You will need:

• glass (250 ml) water;
• 60 ml berry jam;
• optional 2 tablespoons cognac.

Preparation:

1. In a ladle or saucepan, combine water with jam, bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Strain the berries, cool the broth, add cognac if desired.

Video recipe for cognac impregnation according to GOST

Lemon soak

It will set off the sweet cream with a pleasant sourness.

✍ You will need:

• glass of water;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• half a large lemon;
• vanilla extract optional.

Preparation:

1. Remove seeds from lemon and chop finely. Cover the lemon pieces with sugar and mash until juice appears.
2. Boil a glass of water, pour in the lemon mixture. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cool, strain, add vanilla extract if desired.

Honey-lemon impregnation (for honey cake)

✍ You will need:

• 2 medium lemons;
• 4 tablespoons honey;
• 3 tablespoons sugar;
• tablespoon cognac optional.

Preparation:

1. Squeeze the juice from the lemons, strain if necessary.
2. Mix the juice with honey and sugar, bring to a boil over low heat and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. If desired, flavor the cooled syrup with alcohol.

It is better to apply this impregnation to the cakes warm; when completely cooled, it can become too viscous.

White dessert wine will give the syrup a more elegant taste than cognac.

Chocolate impregnation

Strengthens and emphasizes the taste of chocolate cakes.

✍ You will need:

• 120 ml water;
• 150 grams of brown sugar;
• 35 grams of cocoa powder;
• a packet of vanillin (1 gram);
• ½ teaspoon salt;
• one and a half tablespoons of cognac.

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, mix cocoa with water so that there are no lumps. Heat the mixture until the mass becomes homogeneous, without any graininess.
2. Add sugar, salt, vanillin. Let the syrup boil, cook for 3 minutes. Cool, add cognac.

Some of the sugar can be replaced with condensed milk.

Sour cream impregnation

It will save an overdried biscuit.

See also: How to evenly cut a delicate sponge cake into cake layers: 5 simple techniques

✍ You will need:

• 500 grams of 10 percent sour cream;
• 4 tablespoons sugar;
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Preparation:

1. Mix the sour cream with sugar and put it in the refrigerator until it is completely dissolved (approximately 30-60 minutes).
2. Add vanilla extract to the sour cream mixture and beat with a mixer for several minutes.

Orange impregnation

Suitable for cakes with butter or custard, and chocolate cakes.

✍ You will need:

• half a glass of water + a little more as needed;
• a glass of sugar;
• large juicy orange;
• a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Preparation:

1. Scald the orange and remove the zest using a fine grater. Then cut in half, squeeze out the juice, strain if necessary. If the juice is less than half a glass, add water.
2. Combine juice, zest, sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cool. Add lemon juice to the cooled syrup.

If grains of zest are not needed in the finished impregnation, the skin can initially be removed in thin strips, which can then be easily removed from the syrup. Increase cooking time by 2-3 minutes.

Milk impregnation for biscuit

The milk mass has a rather thick consistency. Syrup is most often used to coat vanilla white sponge cake. If desired, you can add cocoa and use it for chocolate cakes.

We take:

• Milk - a glass.
• Granulated sugar - glass.
• Vanilla sugar is a standard sachet.

Preparation:

1. Pour milk into a saucepan and place on the burner.
2. Add sweetness and stir. Boil the mixture, stirring constantly, until it boils.
3. Add vanillin during the process. Do not make the fire high, set it to medium or moderate. The syrup is considered ready when the sugar dissolves without any residue. Be sure to cool before soaking.

Very thick impregnation

If there is not a lot of cream and it is only enough to decorate the sides and top of the cake, confectioners use confiture as a layer. Jams, toppings and condensed milk are quite thick substances, and remain so even if diluted with distillate. How to soak a biscuit with cognac in this case? This time we will need a knife with a wide blade.

Spread the impregnation like butter on a sandwich, but in a very thin layer. Since the substance is thick, it will not immediately go deep into the dough. You need to let the cake stand. But wrapping it in cling film is not recommended. After half an hour, we begin to assemble the cake. As already indicated, smearing with creams is not necessary in this case. But it won't harm the cake. The cream will only improve the taste of the confectionery product.

Coffee impregnation for biscuit

Coffee syrup for impregnating biscuits is among the TOP popular syrups for biscuit products without alcohol, made at home.

We take:

• Ground natural coffee – 3 small spoons (with top).
• Water – 220 ml.
• Granulated sugar – 150 gr.

Step by step recipe:

Combine ground coffee and sugar in a saucepan and stir.

Pour in the required amount of water.

Bring to cook over high heat.

Heat the contents over high heat, stirring and waiting for the sweet crystals to completely disperse.

When the drink begins to boil and active “bubbles” appear, remove the pan from the stove and wait until the syrup calms down.

Return the pan to the stove, wait until it boils vigorously, and remove the syrup from the burner.

Strain the soaking, leave on the table to cool slowly to room temperature.

Vanilla impregnation

The syrup with a subtle vanilla aroma is considered a universal softener; it does not contain alcohol, so it is great for making cakes for adults and children of any age. The vanilla composition is applied to the cakes using a spray bottle.

This recipe contains the following ingredients:

• sugar – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• water – one glass 200 ml;
• vanilla sugar – 15 grams.

Step-by-step description of preparing vanilla syrup:

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