Step-by-step recipes for impregnations for sponge cakes made from cocoa, jam, honey, milk, with alcohol

2018-08-14 Marina Vykhodtseva

Grade
recipe

3074

Time
(min)

Portions
(persons)

In 100 grams of the finished dish

0 gr.

0 gr.

Carbohydrates

62 gr.

264 kcal.

Option 1: Classic impregnation for sponge cake

Sponge cake is the most fluffy and tender cake layer, but it has one significant drawback. Without impregnation, it turns out dry, tasteless, and will require a lot of cream and time. That is why sponge cakes are usually moistened. For this purpose, various impregnations are used, most often based on sugar syrup. Here is the simplest option with cognac and citric acid. If the cake is for children, then alcohol can be excluded or replaced with aromatic essence, vanilla.

Ingredients

• 200 g sugar;
• 100 ml water;
• 1 tbsp. l. cognac;
• 1 g citric acid.

Step-by-step recipe for classic sponge cake impregnation

To cook the syrup, use a small saucepan in which the sugar will not burn or stick. Pour out the water. Add the prescribed amount of sand. Place the saucepan on low heat to heat slowly. If you immediately turn on high heat, some of the sugar may not dissolve; some grains along the edges of the pan will burn, which will change the taste and color of the syrup.

Once all the grains have dissolved, you can add heat. Now bring the syrup to a boil. Foam may form on the surface. This is normal, just remove it with a spoon. Boil for a few seconds, add citric acid, stir, remove from heat.

Cool the syrup until warm, add cognac. This alcohol, even in such a small amount, will improve the taste of not only the impregnation, but also the biscuit itself.

After adding cognac, the impregnation must be cooled. It is never used warm, otherwise the cream will flow from the cake. Cover and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. In general, such syrup can be stored for a whole week or even more if raw water does not get into it.

If initially there is a lot of sugar in the biscuit or a sugary cream, layers of jam or jam are used for the cake, then the amount of sand in the impregnation can be reduced, a 1:1 syrup can be prepared, it is boiled and used in exactly the same way.

Option 2: Quick recipe for jam sponge cake

If you don’t know what to soak the sponge cake layers with, and you need to do it very quickly, then the most ordinary jam will help out. There are only some nuances in its use. This option is good because you don’t need to cook anything and then cool it if you have boiled water. We choose any type of jam. If there are pieces and large berries in it, then you need to take them out, leaving the syrup, or just chop them finely.

Ingredients

• 120 ml jam;
• 80 ml water;
• 40 ml cognac.

How to quickly prepare impregnation for sponge cake

Prepare the jam. If it contains very soft berries such as strawberries or raspberries that cannot be cut or crushed, then you can simply beat them with a blender or rub them through a strainer.

Add boiled water to the recipe jam and beat with a fork until smooth. If the liquid is hot, then you can also pour it in immediately, but in this case, leave the impregnation for about ten minutes so that it cools down.

All that remains is to add cognac. If the cake is being prepared for children, then replace the alcohol with any essence or leave the diluted jam as is. In any case, it already has a rich taste of berries or fruits.

If you have more time, you can boil the jam with water, then cool it and add cognac. This impregnation turns out more homogeneous, the taste will also change a little. The color directly depends on the jam used. We also remember that impregnation of this type will change the shade of the biscuit.

Option 3: What else can you soak sponge cake layers with?

If you don’t have any jam at home, and just a syrup of water and sugar is not impressive, then you can take tea. You just need to prepare it correctly, be sure to observe the amount of sugar and water. To prepare the impregnation, you can take green, black, fruit tea or even hibiscus. Each option will have a different taste.

Ingredients

• 170 ml boiling water;
• 1 tsp. tea leaves;
• 4 spoons of sugar.

How to cook

Pour in the tea leaves, pour boiling water, cover and leave for ten minutes. Then strain through a strainer into another bowl. You can use a teapot for steaming.

Immediately, while the tea is still hot, pour sugar into it, stir continuously with a spoon until the sand is completely dissolved. After this, the drink will become warm, but it still needs to be cooled. To save time, you can place a bowl (mug, jar) with our impregnation in cold water.

The tea impregnation will be even tastier if you add alcohol to it. It can be cognac, as in one of the recipes above, or we take brandy, gin, liqueur, sometimes even wine is poured. This should be done after the tea has cooled completely.

Option 4: Impregnation for sponge cake with butter cream

If the cake uses creamy airy cream, then it is important not to make the cakes too wet. But you shouldn’t leave the biscuit dry either, this will not affect the taste for the better. The ideal option is to drizzle the cake with light honey syrup before frosting. In addition, it will favorably emphasize the delicate taste of cream.

Ingredients

• 80 g honey;
• 5 tablespoons of water;
• 5 g vanilla sugar.

Step by step recipe

Honey has a very low boiling point, so we heat it carefully. Place in a water bath or microwave and immediately add hot water.

As soon as the mixture becomes homogeneous, the impregnation can be removed. Add vanilla sugar to it, stir until dissolved. Then cool the honey syrup and drizzle over the sponge cake layers.

Honey goes well not only with vanillin, but also with cinnamon powder; you can add other spices to the impregnation, add a spoonful of alcohol, but all these ingredients should not contradict the taste of the biscuit or cream.

Option 5: Milk impregnation for sponge cake

This impregnation option makes any biscuit more tender, gives it a creamy taste and vanilla aroma. This syrup can be used for store-bought cakes, but pour them carefully due to their small thickness. This amount of syrup is enough for a cake 20-23 cm in diameter. If there is no vanillin or vanilla sugar, then you can supplement the milk syrup with essence or add a spoonful of honey to it when it cools.

Ingredients

• 200 ml milk;
• 120 g sugar;
• vanilla bag

How to cook

To prepare this impregnation, take a saucepan in which to cook milk porridge. Otherwise the syrup will burn. Pour out the milk and add sand. We heat it up. Stir constantly.

Bring the impregnation to a boil and immediately turn off the stove, add vanillin. As it cools, stir occasionally to prevent an unpleasant film from appearing on top. Cool the finished impregnation before use.

There are different types of milk impregnations; you can prepare them with diluted condensed milk or with cream; there are even recipes with sour cream. In any case, do not forget to improve the taste by adding vanilla, various essences, and honey.

Option 6: Chocolate impregnation for sponge cake

If you don’t know how to soak sponge cake layers with cocoa, this recipe will help out. Chocolate syrup will enhance the aroma and taste, and improve the color of cakes that have faded during baking. The impregnation is quite simple and quick to prepare, but it will take time to cool. This impregnation can be prepared with milk or water.

Ingredients

• 2 spoons of cocoa;
• glass of water;
• 2 spoons of cognac;
• 7 spoons of sugar.

How to cook

To prevent cocoa from setting into lumps, it needs to be sifted. If you don’t want to do this, then immediately mix it with sugar. Thanks to its grains, all lumps will disintegrate.

Add water to cocoa and sugar, you can also take milk. Stir, it’s better to do this with a whisk, and then put it on the stove. Prepare regular hot chocolate. Be sure to stir and let it boil. Do not move away under any circumstances, the mass may burn.

After boiling, cool the chocolate syrup, then mix it with cognac or leave it without alcohol. After cooling, use to soak biscuits.

You can make the impregnation not with cocoa, but with melted chocolate. The result will be a very rich and aromatic syrup that will disguise even a not very successful sponge cake.

Impregnation for a biscuit or cake is a sweet or sour-sweet liquid. The basis of impregnation is usually sugar syrup.

Sugar syrup

Ingredients:

To obtain 200 ml syrup

4 tbsp. spoons of sugar
6 tbsp. spoons of water

How to prepare syrup for impregnation:

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Place the pan on the fire and bring to a boil. At this time, constantly stir the syrup and skim off foam if it forms.

Then cool the syrup and only then add vanilla to it. Never flavor hot syrup. So, it will lose its aroma very quickly.

Coffee syrup can be used to flavor the sugar impregnation.

Coffee syrup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon natural ground coffee
half a glass of boiling water

How to prepare coffee syrup for soaking:

Pour boiling water over the coffee. Cover the glass with a lid and leave for 20 minutes. Now fold a piece of gauze in half and strain the coffee through it.

Let it sit for another 10 minutes. After this, the pure infusion can be poured into the sugar impregnation.

Use fresh and canned fruit juices, essences, and tinctures to flavor the impregnation. However, make sure that when adding liquids the consistency of the impregnation does not change dramatically.

Alcoholic beverages are often used in impregnations. They give the biscuit a special aroma.

Impregnation with vodka

Ingredients:

50 ml vodka “Finlandia”
2 tbsp. spoons of pear jam
250 ml cooled boiled water

How to prepare impregnation with vodka:
mix vodka, jam, water. Pear jam can be replaced with homemade apple jam.

Sugar impregnation with liqueur

Ingredients:

5 tbsp. spoons of sugar
7 tbsp. spoons of liqueur
1 tbsp. spoon of vodka
7 tbsp. spoons of water
a few drops of citrus essence

How to prepare impregnation with liqueur:
Pour sugar into a saucepan and fill with water. Place the container on the fire and bring to a boil. Then cool the sugar and add liqueur, vanillin, cognac, citrus essence. The peculiarity of this impregnation is that it has a very bitter taste.

Chocolate impregnation

Ingredients:

100 grams of butter
1 tbsp. spoon cocoa
1/2 can of condensed milk

How to prepare chocolate impregnation:

Prepare this impregnation in a water bath. Pour water into a large saucepan and place on fire. Place a smaller saucepan inside the large pan: prepare the impregnation in it.

Cut the butter into pieces and place in a saucepan. Add cocoa powder and condensed milk: mix everything thoroughly. Do not bring the mixture to a boil.

Impregnation with orange zest

Ingredients:

Zest of one orange
half a glass of orange juice
1/4 cup sugar

How to prepare citrus impregnation:

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. The amount of syrup should be reduced by half.

Soak the cake with warm mixture.

Syrup from any tasty jam is also suitable for impregnation, but you don’t need to add anything to it. For impregnation, there are special pastry brushes that distribute the liquid evenly and prevent puddles from forming. If you don't have a brush, use a teaspoon. Do not fill the spoon completely, but take a little at a time and spread evenly. The impregnation layer should be very thin and almost invisible.

A quick and delicious homemade cake according to the recipe of the famous pastry chef Oleg Ilyin! Watch the video!

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

Impregnation recipes

Several impregnation options are known:

• To prepare a classic 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. The resulting syrup is brought to a boil and a bag of flavored tea is dipped into it. After a few seconds, the tea is pulled out, and citric acid is added to the syrup (on the tip of a 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 it’s better to avoid Maple Syrup: 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.

You can soak a chocolate biscuit with any syrup, but it is better to take one that contains alcohol. Boiled orange juice, to which sugar and alcohol are added, is ideal for soaking orange sponge cake. 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 impregnating light biscuits, light wines, liqueurs and cognacs are used, and coffee and chocolate biscuits are used with red wines and cognacs. Fruit biscuits are 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 sponge cake weighs 400 grams (a 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.

You can make holes of different sizes in the caps of plastic bottles and use 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.

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:

1. It is necessary to use a container that has a thick bottom. It should be doused with cold water.
2. Pour in water, add sugar. Set fire to minimum. Stir the syrup constantly; for convenience, you can use a silicone spatula.
3. When the last crystal of sugar has dissolved, boil, skimming off any foam that appears.
4. Remove from heat.
5. 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:

1. Pour boiling water into a cup, add coffee, stir.
2. Pour in granulated sugar.
3. Cool slightly.
4. 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:

1. Pour sugar into the prepared saucepan and fill it with water.
2. Now you need to stay close to the stove and stir constantly. Cook on low heat.
3. Wait until it boils.
4. Remove from the stove.
5. Cool.
6. 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:

1. Place granulated sugar in a saucepan and add water.
2. Place on low heat and gradually bring to a boil.
3. Cool.
4. 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:

1. Pour the amount of milk and cream into the pan.
2. Add condensed milk and stir.
3. Boil the composition.
4. Add vanilla sugar.
5. For lovers of wet cakes, soak the sponge cake immediately.
6. 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:

1. Place granulated sugar in a container.
2. Pour in sour cream, stir.
3. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
4. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
5. 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:

1. Prepare a dry pan.
2. Pour sugar (620 g) into it and place it on the burner.
3. Gradually warm up the granulated sugar. When exposed to temperature, it will melt and then acquire a beautiful brown tint.
4. 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.
5. Mix.
6. Pour in the rest of the granulated sugar and sprinkle with vanilla.
7. Boil. The sugar should completely dissolve, then the mass will thicken.
8. Remove from stove.
9. Strain through a sieve.
10. Cool.
11. Pour the mixture into the prepared container.
12. Place in the refrigerator.

1. To ensure that the impregnation is perfect and does not spoil the baked goods, follow the recommendations.
2. Before use, it is recommended to cool the composition to medium temperature.
3. You cannot add flavorings to hot impregnation, otherwise they will simply evaporate.
4. It is better to soak the impregnation for a day before using it.
5. If the weather is hot, the amount of sugar needs to be increased. For the winter season, follow the recipe recommendations.
6. Soak the bottom layer less than the other layers. Use the main part of the impregnation on the top cake.
7. If you have prepared a vanilla sponge cake, it requires less impregnation than a regular one.
8. A cake with soufflé filling requires more soaking, so prepare more syrup in advance.
9. A treat with cottage cheese and cream will require less syrup.
10. 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.
11. After soaking, the baked goods should be kept in a cool place for several hours.

Of all the variety of cakes, biscuits have always been especially popular among those with a sweet tooth. They are loved for their magical softness and airiness, for their delicate, incomparable taste.

Both adults and children like this dessert - it simply melts in your mouth, and various fillings allow people with different taste preferences to enjoy it.

Cream, chocolate, halva, nuts, fruits - this is an incomplete list of what can be added to the dough.

It can be purchased ready-made, or you can prepare it yourself. One little secret - for the cakes to turn out tasty, they must be properly soaked.

Read also:

Impregnation for biscuit

Any baked shortbread needs softening, otherwise it may turn out dry and harsh; even a large amount of cream will not save it. Considered the most universal sugar syrup, it softens the cake and gives it a delicate taste. This method is very simple, and even novice housewives can do it.

To do this, bring the mixture of water and sugar to a boil over low heat. proportions 3:2, let it cool and coat the cakes. The syrup should be quite thick, but not turn into caramel.

Alternatively, you can add regular sugar add vanillin, and thereby give the biscuit a completely new taste. Depending on your taste preferences, you can add coffee, cognac, or juice to the basic sugar syrup. Today, various flavors for cakes are popular. Each component will give the cake its own unique taste.

What can you soak the cakes with besides all of the above? So, they can be “buttered” with green tea with the addition of lemon, as well as currant compote. Pineapple syrup from canned fruits is also often used. Instead of water, syrup can be prepared with milk; children love this dish.

Types of syrups

Syrup for softening cakes can be with adding alcohol, this cake is perfect for a romantic dinner. To do this, cognac, liqueur, and rum are added to the main sugar syrup. At the same time, cognac does not have to be the most expensive; you can also use regular vodka. If you wish, you can experiment with wine; white is best.

An excellent option would be coffee syrup. To do this, you need to pour a cup of coffee into the basic sugar one. This option goes well with chocolate cream and cakes. You can also make chocolate syrup by adding cocoa instead of coffee. The main thing is not to overdo it so that the cake does not turn out too sugary.

For lovers lighter cakes You can add the juice and zest of fresh citrus fruits - lemon, orange or lime - to the syrup. This is especially good for light-colored options. In addition to citrus fruits, other fruits are also used. Impregnation for cakes made from cherry, apricot, grape and pomegranate juice is very popular.

How to soak cakes

You only need to coat the cakes that have cooled after baking, and also the syrup. should be cold. If the cake layers or syrup are warm, the cake may turn out misshapen. Experienced housewives advise cooling the cakes after the oven for at least three hours, but some leave them for a day.

The syrup is applied to the cakes with a pastry brush. Some people use a regular spoon or a pastry syringe, but this is more difficult as it may turn out unevenly. Usually a syringe is used for thick cakes. After spreading, you need to wait a little and repeat this procedure if necessary. It is better not to apply a lot of syrup right away so that the cake does not turn out too “wet”.