FAQ: How to use Sugar Syrup on Cakes?
Ahhh Sugar Syrup. My new and most amazing discovery! It’s the small things that seem to make the biggest difference in my baking. I hadn’t even heard of sugar syrup until I went to the Peggy Porschen sugar roses class last year. I mean I had heard of it but I just thought it was something people added to give a cake more taste – like with lemon cakes and the like, but no. I was wrong.
What sugar syrup does
One of the ladies at the sugar roses class had also been to one of the Peggy Porschen cake baking classes and she mentioned how sugar syrup had completely changed her cakes. They’re now super moist. The trick – as she told me, is to brush sugar syrup directly onto a warm cake once it comes out of the oven. This basically stops the cake from continuing to bake in its very hot tin once it’s removed from the oven – preventing it from drying out. The added water keeps the cake super moist.
So armed with this information I gave it a go and do you know what? It’s worked on every single cake I’ve made so far! Madeira cake, chocolate cake, Victoria sponge cake and even cupcakes – actually especially cupcakes!
Sugar Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 300g caster sugar
- 150ml water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Steps
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until dissolved.
- Add the vanilla extract then let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Leave to cool and then place in an air tight container.
Another sugar syrup tip.
Another time I saw sugar syrup being used was at the Squires Kitchen cake show. During her workshop Helen Mansey brushed her cake (which was baked the day before) with sugar syrup when she was stacking the layers. She added a light coating of syrup to the top of each cake using a pastry brush in exactly the same way as described above before she covered each cake layer with chocolate ganache. I’ve never seen that done before but she said that it keeps the cake moist as she bakes a cake on a Monday and decorates it ready for delivery on Friday/Saturday. She said the cake would still be okay to eat a week after the wedding. I’m not sure cake would last that long in my house but it’s good to know.
So, do you use sugar syrup? What flavours do you use? I’d love to know. Just leave a comment below and share your tried and tested recipes with the whole baking gang.
EmmaMT
x
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WoW thanks Emma, yes I have heard of it but never really tried it before..but I will do so now.. sounds amazing! Thanks for the post really appreciated!
That is so funny – I am making my first wedding cake in a fortnight and late into the night yesterday I was brushing sugar syrup on only half of some practice sponge cake and not on the other – and trying to decide whether or not to use it in the actual cake (and if so – lemon or vanilla) – I will leave them for 2 days and try again to see the difference it makes over time. – would be very interested in other peoples comments. My fear is making it too sludgy and sickly – but also def don’t want a dry cake! After last night’s taste test I think I had decided on yes to Sugar syrup with a touch of vanilla.
Ooooh I like your testing tactics. How did the cake fair after two days?
I’ve never really felt the sugar syrup adds too much sweetness, but then again I do have a sweet tooth!
EmmaMT
x
Hi Emma. Thanks for the tips. Just one question, did you notice the syrup making the cake extra sweet?
Hi Emma ..many thanks for recipe and tips…..would I use vanilla flavouring for chocolate maderia cake?
Hello,
I do add vanilla essence to my chocolate cakes as I think it gives it that little something extra but you can try it without. I think it might make it taste a little richer. Let me know how you get on. I’d love to know.
EmmaMT
x
The same as Victoria I also am making my first wedding cake…..its a naked wedding cake so the tips on sugar syrup has been very welcome. I have practised the 6,8&10 inch maderia cake recipe and all have been successful…..I need now to try another one with the sugar syrup method. Was it successful for your cake Victoria?
I now bake all my cakes using your recipe of half butter half stork marg. and sometimes I too wrap the tin in paper or a wet tea towel. So glad I found your page. Thank you for sharing ?
I had decided that the syrup was the way forward in terms of taste and texture – unfortunately gave a wedge of both samples to the lady ordering the Wedding Cake and she chose the one without syrup so it wouldn’t be too sweet – now doubly confused!!
Maybe just make a really low sugar syrup to keep it moist- say 10g sugar to 100g water + flavour? I haven’t tried this but I’m sure it will work.
EmmaMT
Another option could be to sligtly lessen the amount of sugar in the cake batter. I just thinking …loud!!!
I like your thinking! I made a Madeira last weekend to test some timings and I left it naked. I just cut a slice and add some raspberry jam. I have to say that the ‘crust’ of the cake tastes amazing once the sugar syrup has dried. Another benefit I hadn’t considered.
EmmaMT
Hi Emma. Have just tried your madeira cake recipe for the first time, just taken it from the oven and it smells and looks gorgeous! I’ve never tried sugar syrup before and wondered how much you put on and is it just on the top or sides as well? also how long will the syrup keep for? So glad i found your site will be a regular visitor from now on. Thank you.
thanx for sharing information…
http://thatsecretingredient.com/
Hi just a quick one i’m making a four teir wedding cake one plain , one orange the other two lemon could i still add sugar syrup to these cake which have been in the freeze
Hello,
Yes you can add the sugar syrup to the completely defrosted cakes. Just brush them don’t soak them or you’ll end up with a soggy mess.
Sounds like one amazing cake!
Happy baking
EmmaMT
[…] out the work – then just assemble the night before on the big day itself. You could make a simple syrup (this one’s from cakesbakesandcookies.com) to drench the sponge in to keep it from drying […]
can i put sugar syrup on the sides of my cake?thank u for the answers!Godbless!
Hello,
Yes you can put it on the sides too.
Happy baking
EmmaMT
hi emma,
just asking.i already put the entire cake with sugar syrup.but there was a disaster that happen.i wrap it with cellophane cake.then the top of my cake stick to the cellophane.so i unwrap it.
now i need to trim the top of my cake.my question is?can i put again sugar syrup in the top of my cake?
or also the sides too?even when i dont trim the sides of my cake?
thank u for the answer and Godbless!
Hello,
When I add sugar syrup to a cake it sinks right into the cake so I usually only lose the top crumbs. I’m not sure why your cake would come apart like that. You could add some buttercream to the broken off parts and ‘stick’ them back onto the main cake so when you decorate you have a whole cake and don’t have to cut much away. But no I don’t think you’ll need more sugar syrup. It should have soaked into the cake when you first covered it.
Hope that helps
EmmaMT x
I use a light sugar syrup on sponge cakes made the previous day too. However when the cakes have been split for filling l find it easier to use a small spray bottle, it’s easily controlled and less messy than a pastry brush. Hope this proves useful.
Anne I LOVE that! What a great idea. Thanks.