Do You Use Simple Syrup?

Decorating By kianson Updated 20 Aug 2012 , 6:13pm by LNW

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kianson Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 3:37am
post #1 of 20

I recently watched an online tutorial in which the guy squirted each layer of his cake with simple syrup out of a sauce bottle to 'keep it moist'.
I had never heard of this. So was wondering how many people do??? On all types of cake?? Does it make a great difference??
TIA

19 replies
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BlakesCakes Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:00am
post #2 of 20

Only if my cake is DRY--which it ISN'T, so, no................

I've seen that same video........I spent a lot of my time shaking my head and cursing at the laptop screen........... icon_confused.gif Too much cutting and squirting for my tastes.............

Seems to me that if you make a nice, moist cake, then you eliminate the steps of having to boil sugar water down until it's syrupy and then having to squirt it onto the cake.

JMHO
Rae

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kianson Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:04am
post #3 of 20

That's kinda what I thought too blakecakes. If your cake is that dry, wouldn't u fix the recipe?? Just thought I may have been missing something??

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BlakesCakes Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:14am
post #4 of 20

No, you didn't miss a thing.

He was working on a very dense, very dry cake. Without the simple syrup, it would have been like sawdust.

Certain recipes (mostly scratch--DON'T FLAME ME because we all know it's true) need an infusion of moisture after baking. With simple syrup, you can add the moisture and also bump up, or even change, the flavor of the cake.

It's a useful tool in the arsenal.

I had to use it once on a cake (I bake doctored mixes) that came out a bit dry. I didn't have time to re-bake, so I made up some vanilla simple syrup and it did the job. But, that was the exception and not the rule.

If you use simple syrup, use a light hand--squirt on a little in circles (like the video) or use a pastry brush to paint it on. A little goes a long way. Too much and your cake is mush.

HTH
Rae

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Apti Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:22am
post #5 of 20

I hobby bake doctored cake mixes and the ingredients in the dry base of the cake mix keep my cakes from being dry. By the time I add extra egg(s), sour cream and/or pudding mix, and whatever else I'm throwing in, they stay lovely and moist.

I tried spritzing simple syrup once. The overspray left a film of sugar on about a 3 foot swath of my kitchen, cabinets, and floor. There was ZERO difference in the taste of the cake. That was it for me.

I only do specific scratch recipes once in a while, and since they are my "tried and true", they are moist and don't need simple syrup either.

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kianson Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:27am
post #6 of 20

Hmmmm another question. What are doctored mixes? Sorry to sound dumb!

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BlakesCakes Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 4:36am
post #7 of 20

Box mixes to which additional ingredients are added.

Go to the recipes section and search WASC. It's a basic doctored recipe that many of us use. It's my standard.

Rae

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Chellescakes Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 11:01am
post #8 of 20

I use it to adhere my fondant to my ganache or fruitcake.

I only bake from scratch and don't have dry cakes , if your scratch cakes are dry , you need to have a look at your baking times or perhaps your recipe.

I too looked at the video , I believe you are talking about and couldn't believe the waste of cake and time with all the cutting down etc. I finished watching it and decided that I will stick to ganache and fondant.

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yortma Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 2:19pm
post #9 of 20

I agree with the prior posts that simple syrup is not needed for moistness if you have a good cake recipe. I occasionally use simple syrup for additional flavor. Citrus juices, liqueurs (love Godiva chocolate, white chocolate and caramel liqueurs) , flavored rums (pineapple, coconut, banana) , vanilla and other extracts, can all be added to simple syrup. When brushed lightly over the cake layers it can really add a boost of flavor.

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sewsugarqueen Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 3:01pm
post #10 of 20

I want to know if anyone has brushed it on cupcakes to keep them fresh longer?

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costumeczar Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 3:25pm
post #11 of 20

You don't need it if your cake is good, but it enhances flavors if you do put other things into it.

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leah_s Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 6:21pm
post #12 of 20

OTOH, I use simple syrup on every cake, every time. It's what I was taught in culinary school and NO my cakes do not come out dry, and I DO bake from scratch. It just gives a little punch of flavor.

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costumeczar Posted 18 Aug 2012 , 6:35pm
post #13 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by leah_s

OTOH, I use simple syrup on every cake, every time. It's what I was taught in culinary school and NO my cakes do not come out dry, and I DO bake from scratch. It just gives a little punch of flavor.




We did that in culinary school too.

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scp1127 Posted 19 Aug 2012 , 2:32am
post #14 of 20

I do it on cakes that were baked specifically to handle a syrup. It adds another depth of flavor, not moisture. Actually, the cake should be less moist if a simple syrup is a planned addition.

If the cake is dry, a new recipe or method is needed, not syrup.

I understand using it on every cake, but I doubt experienced bakers like leah_s are doing it to hide bad cake, but more as a planned, integral part of the total cake taste and texture.

For cupcakes, I often brush full strength liqueurs on the top. It's a great way to add flavor. But again, it is not used to fix a problem recipe or overbaked cake.

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kianson Posted 19 Aug 2012 , 2:53am
post #15 of 20

Think I'll have to do some experiments! Do you add the liqueur/ flavour to the syrup once it's made? And is there a sugar/ water ratio to follow?

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scp1127 Posted 19 Aug 2012 , 3:07am
post #16 of 20

I don't put them in a syrup. I just brush on the real thing. When I do use simple syrups, I make a real confectionery syrup.

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costumeczar Posted 19 Aug 2012 , 12:13pm
post #17 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by kianson

Think I'll have to do some experiments! Do you add the liqueur/ flavour to the syrup once it's made? And is there a sugar/ water ratio to follow?




I use 1:1 water to sugar, but you can use up to 2:1 water to sugar. Add the liquer or other flavor whenever...If it's a juice I add it after the syrup has boiled, if it's a liquer I tend to add it ahead for some reason, don't know why I do that. There might not be a reason for it, but my brain isn't working too well this morning to ponder the reason. I just add it to taste, because especially with the liquers if you add too much it can make the cake taste alcoholic.

It helps add a layer of flavor to the cake.

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LNW Posted 19 Aug 2012 , 9:35pm
post #18 of 20

I used moistening syrup once and I was so disappointed Ive never used them again. I made the Valentines Day Cake from Wedding Cakes You Can Make by Dede Wilson (she uses syrups on all the cakes in that book if I remember right). It was syrup that used crème de cacao. I followed the recipe to a T. The cake was for a huge Valentines Day party at a country club for my dhs work. I was really honored theyd asked me to make the cake instead of having the chef at the country club put something together. We were all excited to eat the cake; it was gorgeous just like in the book. But all that crème de cacao was so overpowering (it was in the filling too) the whole cake tasted like a chocolate alcoholic drink, but in solid form lol. It was awful. People kept teasing me about all the alcohol Id put in the cake lol. I just followed the recipe but that crème de cacao is some powerful stuff.

The recipe for the moistening syrup I used is:

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat down and simmer for a minute to make sure the sugar is totaly dissovled. Take off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temp (this is when the recipe I used to make the creme de cacao syrup instructed me to add 1 1/4 cups of the stuff to the pan). HTH.

I bet if I'd added it while the syrup was boiling like costumeczar mentioned it would have cooked off some of that alcoholic taste. Maybe, I don't know. I've not tried it again, liqueurs are expensive.

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costumeczar Posted 20 Aug 2012 , 1:32am
post #19 of 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by LNW

I used moistening syrup once and I was so disappointed Ive never used them again. I made the Valentines Day Cake from Wedding Cakes You Can Make by Dede Wilson (she uses syrups on all the cakes in that book if I remember right). It was syrup that used crème de cacao. I followed the recipe to a T. The cake was for a huge Valentines Day party at a country club for my dhs work. I was really honored theyd asked me to make the cake instead of having the chef at the country club put something together. We were all excited to eat the cake; it was gorgeous just like in the book. But all that crème de cacao was so overpowering (it was in the filling too) the whole cake tasted like a chocolate alcoholic drink, but in solid form lol. It was awful. People kept teasing me about all the alcohol Id put in the cake lol. I just followed the recipe but that crème de cacao is some powerful stuff.

The recipe for the moistening syrup I used is:

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Put all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat down and simmer for a minute to make sure the sugar is totaly dissovled. Take off the heat and let the syrup cool to room temp (this is when the recipe I used to make the creme de cacao syrup instructed me to add 1 1/4 cups of the stuff to the pan). HTH.

I bet if I'd added it while the syrup was boiling like costumeczar mentioned it would have cooked off some of that alcoholic taste. Maybe, I don't know. I've not tried it again, liqueurs are expensive.




Holy crap, that's a lot of booze! That's why I just do it to taste, and I think that's why I boil it with the syrup too, now that I have some caffeine in my system and can think straight.

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LNW Posted 20 Aug 2012 , 6:13pm
post #20 of 20

I know! You can just imagine what that cake tasted like lol.

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