Good morning everyone

Ok, so when you read that people have cake flavors like "Grand Mariner", "Bailey's Irish Creme", etc. Does that mean that they use the alcohol for one of the actual ingredients in the cake? Or does it mean that they are using a simple syrup to brush the layers with? If that is the case, would you prepare it the same way...equal parts sugar and liquor over stovetop to boil? Or does it mean that they are just brushing the liquor straight from the bottle to the cake layers?

I have used the coffee syrup flavors before...and I just brushed them straight onto the cake...but I'm not sure how the whole alcohol thing works.

I am kinda asking because I think it would be a lot of fun to have a couple of cakes like that on my menu to offer my customers...they just sound so "elegant". But I'm not sure that I can justify paying anywhere from 25-60 for a bottle of flavored liquor that would just sit around in my cabinet...(we tend to be Beer drinkers around these hear parts )
So I guess my question is...would it be possible to make a sryup that tastes similar to whatever flavored liquor you are going for by using like a flavored coffee syrup? Or even a little of the very consatrated oils with a water sugar mixture or some sort? I would think that would be a much more cost effective way to try to make a "similar" flavor.

What do you all think?

If you use the name, you also need to use the real flavor/liquor. People can tell the difference. You wouldn't want them to taste it and be dissappointed with a fake flavor.

You can often find the little single servings (like for airplanes) at liquor stores.

You would just brush it on as is, like you would a syrup. Some recipes will replace the liquid in the recipe with the alcohol.