Sponge cake is the basis for many confectionery products. It turns out to be airy and tender, and the impregnation makes it juicy.
Biscuit impregnation syrup - basic principles of preparation
Sponge cakes absorb moisture well enough. So that they do not get wet, it is necessary to strictly observe the technology for preparing the impregnation.
The biscuit can be dry or wet. More impregnation is used for dry baking.
The impregnation is applied to the cake using a silicone brush, a spray bottle, or simply poured from a spoon.
Sugar and liquid are the basis of any impregnation. For aroma, vanillin, juice or citrus zest, coffee, etc. are added to it.
In cakes consisting of three cakes, the top cake is abundantly watered, the middle and bottom are not so generously impregnated.
It is advisable to withstand the impregnation throughout the day.
Recipe 1. Classic syrup for biscuit impregnation
Ingredients
125 g granulated sugar;
190 ml of drinking water.
Cooking method
Pour water into a saucepan and put it on the stove. We turn on the fire to the middle level and wait for the first bubbles to appear. Pour sugar into boiling water.
Stirring the contents continuously, we twist the heat to a minimum. Cook until the sugar grains dissolve and turn off the heat.
Cool the impregnation to a barely warm state. You can add liqueur, liqueur, or citrus juice as a flavoring agent.
Recipe 2. Syrup for impregnating biscuit with cognac and strawberries
Ingredients
filtered water - 300 ml;
cognac - 60 ml;
fine sugar - 50 g;
strawberries - 300 g.
Cooking method
Wash the strawberries, cut off the tails and squeeze the juice out of them.
Transfer the berry cake to a saucepan, cover with water and add sugar.
Put on a low heat and cook, from the moment of boiling, for five minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine strainer.
Pour strawberry juice into the impregnation, stir and send back to the stove. Boil it again.
Heat the syrup for three minutes, remove from heat, and refrigerate until warm. Pour cognac into the impregnation and stir.
Recipe 3. Cocoa-based biscuit impregnation syrup
Ingredients
35 g cocoa powder;
90 g butter;
175 g of condensed milk.
Cooking method
We take a medium-sized saucepan. We pour drinking water into it and put it on the stove. Install a saucepan of a smaller diameter on top, resting it on the handles. The bottom must be submerged in water.
Chop the butter into small pieces and grind with cocoa until smooth.
Put the oil mixture in a saucepan and wait for it to melt, stirring constantly. Introduce condensed milk into liquid oil in a thin stream. We simmer until the first bubbles appear.
Remove the saucepan from the water bath and beat the contents with a mixer or blender. The mass should become dense and increase in volume. We cool the impregnation and use it as directed.
Recipe 4. Coffee syrup for biscuit impregnation
Ingredients
coffee liqueur - 30 ml;
ground natural coffee - 10 g;
water - 100 ml;
fine sugar - 60 g.
Cooking method
Pour the coffee into a saucepan and fill it with hot water. We put on the stove and bring to a boil.
We remove the coffee from the stove, cover with a lid and leave for ten minutes.
We filter the coffee infusion and add sugar to it.
We put it on the fire again and cook from the moment of boiling for three minutes over low heat.
Turn off the heat, cool the contents of the saucepan, pour in the liquor and stir.
Recipe 5. Mint orange syrup
Ingredients
125 ml of drinking water;
200 g sugar;
Orange;
100 ml of vodka.
Cooking method
We combine water with vodka.
We wash the mint leaves well and cut them as small as possible.
Fill the mint with a mixture of water and vodka. Pour in sugar and stir until the grains dissolve.
Pour into a saucepan with a lid and leave in a cool place for a couple of weeks.
After the allotted time, cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice into the impregnation. Mix and use as directed.
Recipe 6. Coffee syrup for impregnating biscuit with cognac
Ingredients
60 g granulated sugar;
25 ml of brandy;
200 ml of filtered water;
50 g of ground coffee.
Cooking method
Pour the ground coffee into a saucepan and fry it over medium heat for a minute. Pour boiling water over the coffee and cook until the first signs of a boil. We remove from the stove and wait for the foam to settle. We repeat the process two more times.
Cover the saucepan with a lid and leave for a quarter of an hour. We filter the drink through cheesecloth. We throw away the thick.
Pour sugar into the coffee and set it to boil again. We wait until boiling, stirring constantly, until the sugar crystals dissolve.
Remove the syrup from the stove and cool. Add cognac to the syrup, stir again. Saturate the cakes with the resulting mixture.
Recipe 7. Orange syrup for biscuit impregnation
Ingredients
120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice;
orange peel from one fruit;
60 g granulated sugar.
Cooking method
Wash the orange, wipe it with a napkin and remove the zest from it using the finest grater. We place the zest in a saucepan, squeeze the orange juice to it.
We put on low heat and cook for three minutes from the moment of boiling. Pour in sugar, stir and simmer until all the grains dissolve.
Cook the syrup for another eight minutes, filter and cool.
Recipe 8. Syrup for impregnating biscuit with wine
Ingredients
lemon juice - 5 ml;
fine sugar - 250 g;
drinking water - a glass;
Cahors - 60 ml.
Cooking method
Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar and put on low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the crystals dissolve.
Add lemon juice and vanillin to the boiling syrup. We keep it for a couple of minutes, remove from heat and cool.
Recipe 9. Lemon syrup
Ingredients
55 g granulated sugar;
245 ml of drinking water;
half a lemon;
vanilla sugar.
Cooking method
Cut half the lemon, place in a blender container and grind until puree. Transfer the resulting lemon mass to a saucepan, pour in boiled water, cover with a lid and insist for a quarter of an hour.
Lightly crush the contents with a potato pusher to squeeze out any remaining juice from the lemon pulp. We filter the infusion a couple of times through cheesecloth. Add sugar and vanillin to the lemon liquid.
Turn on the hotplate at low power. We put a saucepan with a lemon mixture on it and cook the base of the syrup for ten minutes.
Remove from the stove, cool and saturate the cakes.
Recipe 10. Cherry syrup for impregnating biscuit with cognac
Ingredients
50 g granulated sugar;
40 ml of brandy;
100 ml cherry syrup;
boiled water - stack.
Cooking method
Combine cherry juice with water and cognac. Stir.
Pour all the sugar into the liquid and put on medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until all the sugar grains are dissolved.
We twist the heat to minimum and boil the mixture for another three minutes. Remove from the stove and cool.
Recipe 11. Syrup for impregnating biscuit with black currant
Ingredients
60 ml of brandy;
½ stack. blackcurrant jam syrup;
250 ml of boiled water;
60 g of fine sugar.
Cooking method
Combine water with sugar and jam syrup. Stir and put the dishes with the mixture on low heat. Cook, after the first signs of boiling appear, stirring continuously, until the sugar crystals dissolve.
Remove from heat, cool and pour in brandy.
Recipe 12. Coffee syrup with milk
Ingredients
½ glass of milk and boiled water;
stack. Sahara;
60 g of natural ground coffee.
Cooking method
Pour ground coffee with half a glass of boiling water and make coffee. Remove from heat, cover and cool. We filter.
Combine milk with sugar. We put on the stove, turn on low heat and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Pour in strained coffee and stir.
We keep it for another three minutes, remove it from the stove and cool it. Add alcohol and flavors to the cooled impregnation.
Recipe 13. Caramel syrup for biscuit impregnation
Ingredients
100 ml of milk;
100 g sour cream;
100 g of boiled condensed milk.
Cooking method
Pour milk into a saucepan. We put on the stove and bring to a boil. Add boiled condensed milk and sour cream. Stir well.
Place the biscuit in a mold, with a diameter wider than the cake. We pierce in several places with a wooden skewer or fork. Fill the cake with hot syrup.
We saturate the cake for five hours.
Do not add flavors to hot syrup, or the flavors will simply evaporate.
The syrup must be cooled before use.
It is advisable to withstand the syrup for 24 hours before use.
For impregnation, you can use cognac, liqueur or any other alcoholic beverage.
It is said that the biscuit impregnation was first invented by Italians who are greedy for various sweets, although the French, who are proud of their status as trendsetters, dispute this fact. Be that as it may, but this part of the pastry gives the biscuit an unusual delicate taste that most people like. It is not difficult to prepare it, the main thing is to know the proportion at which the impregnation will emphasize all the advantages of the cake, without turning it into a soggy, shapeless mass.
Although the culinary arts do not use exact science rules and the best dishes are prepared intuitively, in this case it is better to turn to math.
French pastry chefs have developed a formula for an ideal cake that allows you to make its taste unmatched without breaking the shape and introducing special synthetic additives.
For 1 kilogram of biscuit cakes, there should be 700 grams of impregnation and 1.2 kilograms of cream.
To make a good cake, you just need to apply this proportion to the biscuit you are using. By the way, the formula is suitable only for biscuit cakes - shortbread, puff pastry and other types of bases used require adherence to their own special rules.
It is also important to know when to use impregnation, as mistakes can turn a great cake into a piece of completely inedible flowing dough. Pour the biscuit cakes with it 6-7 hours after the end of baking. If you use ready-made purchased biscuits, you should start the process 2-3 hours after they enter the house.
You can use impregnation only at room temperature - when cooled, the sugar syrup becomes incredibly stringy and collects on the surface, gradually turning into a kind of sloppy glaze. And with its strong heating, the shape of the cakes is disturbed, forcing them to fall inside. Therefore, after preparing the impregnation of your choice, you need to set it aside for 2-3 hours to cool, but do not put it in the refrigerator.
If you will be using alcoholic impregnations for a biscuit, you need to clearly understand how many ingredients to take to prepare the ideal composition. When a cake is soaked in cognac, vodka or rum, too much alcohol will make the biscuit taste bitter, completely ruining the entire culinary masterpiece.
A similar approach is used with cinnamon, lemon zest, coffee and other products that have sufficiently rich aromas and can become dominant in the finished dish.
Basic recipes
It should be said right away that any impregnation for a biscuit is a regular sugar syrup, equipped with certain additives. It should be cooked very carefully - for this, a small saucepan with a thick bottom is used, which is placed on low heat. Moreover, it is impossible to bring the syrup to a boil, otherwise the resulting composition will be extremely unstable and, with a decrease in temperature, will begin to precipitate, or, which is many times worse, crystallize.
First, we will consider how to prepare the base, and then the additives that will help make the impregnation exquisite and unique.
Start
To make a quality biscuit soak syrup, you need white granulated sugar and filtered water. The last requirement must be observed without fail, since the liquid from the tap has many foreign substances that will prevent the sugar from dissolving normally and spoil the taste. Some gourmets advise taking cane sugar, which has an exquisite taste, but remember that the cost of such a product is quite high, so the cake will become an expensive pleasure.
Sugar syrup requires a strict proportion, otherwise you will get either sweet water that can flow through the cakes without soaking them, or a thick gruel that looks more like icing.
The optimal amount of ingredients for preparing a liter of the mixture is 450-500 ml of water and 0.5 kg of sugar.
If it is necessary to obtain a very strong taste of a certain additive, the amount of sugar can be reduced to 350-400 grams.
Heat the liquid with added sugar over low heat, but do not bring to a boil. When foam appears, gently remove it and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved. After finishing cooking the biscuit soak, remove from heat and refrigerate for about an hour before adding flavor. If done earlier, it will simply evaporate, leaving behind pure sugar syrup.
When everything is ready, you will need to pour the cakes with the impregnation, gently rubbing it with a spoon, gradually adding more liquid.
Alcohol additives
There are a variety of biscuit impregnations that are based on alcoholic beverages. The alcohol greatly enhances the flavor of the cake itself, of the cream used, and of the additional additive, if used. For this reason, fruit or herbal components are often added to alcohol as part of the impregnation.
The most popular is cognac impregnation, which came to us from the traditions of French confectionery. For a liter of syrup, add 150 ml of the drink, making sure that it mixes well with the main thick mass.
In addition, biscuit impregnations can be made with other alcoholic beverages, including:
- expensive vodka;
- liqueurs;
- tinctures.
It is undesirable to use gin, tequila, absinthe and Sambuca tincture, as they have very specific aromas that can spoil the impression of the resulting cake.
You can also combine original flavors with cognac, for example, cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, cherries. Cream, coconut syrup or liqueur, mint, and other herbs are suitable for rum. But impregnations for biscuit based on liqueurs and tinctures are usually self-sufficient. By adding an additional ingredient to them, you can disrupt the harmony of taste, getting quite unpleasant sensations.
Fruit shades
To prepare high-quality impregnations for biscuits based on fruits and berries, you first need to choose the optimal additive option. The best flavoring is liqueur, tincture or spirit essence, however, you need to be extremely careful with them, as a few extra drops will make the taste too rich, or add excessive bitterness to it. Therefore, many culinary experts advise using jams and marmalades. However, they must be fresh, as the excess thickness will prevent them from dissolving normally.
All that remains is to make a choice. Lemon impregnation is considered a classic, which is also a classic in French, Italian and Spanish confectionery. But citrus fruits, including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits, must also be used with extreme caution, as they have a very intense flavor.
A good option in which you can not be afraid to add a lot of flavoring - strawberries, cherries, raspberries, apricots, plums. A variety of berries are also popular - currants, gooseberries, blueberries, blueberries.
Floral notes
You can also make a syrup with flower flavors. A violet is a good option, which will add a delicate flavor to the cake. The impregnation with the use of rose, jasmine and other flowers that are used in cooking will also become original. They are used to make confitures, alcoholic tinctures and essences, and they are also ground with sugar, leaving for several days, after which the juice is collected.
Finally, if you do not have the time and desire to make confectionery at all, and you want to please your loved ones with a delicious cake, you can buy a ready-made essence or a synthetic flavoring agent in the store. However, such additives should not be abused, since they are much more harmful to the body than all those presented above.
Chocolate cake is a favorite treat for many sweet tooths. Due to the bright taste of the crust itself, it is sometimes difficult to choose such a cream or impregnation to reveal all the charm of cocoa. It is difficult to choose an impregnation for a chocolate cake that will accentuate the taste rather than hide or distort it. There is a pantheon of matching flavors and recipes that pair perfectly with a chocolate dessert.
Requirements for correct impregnation
The impregnation for chocolate cake and any other biscuit must meet several requirements that will positively affect the texture of the cake without spoiling it:
- The impregnation should not be too sweet, as in an ensemble with cream and sweet biscuit it can give a sweetness, clogging all the flavors.
- The impregnation should not be too liquid, because in the process of combining with the dough it can dissolve it, making it too soft.
- This component should not be too thick, because due to this texture it will become viscous and will not saturate the biscuit at all.
If all the nuances are taken into account in the process, then the chocolate cake and any other dessert will turn out to be soft, airy, but at the same time juicy.
How to calculate the amount of soak for a cake
In order not to be mistaken with the exact amount of impregnation for the confectionery, you need to use a special formula: for one part of the biscuit, you need to take ¾ part of the impregnation and 1¾ of the cream. This formula assumes that about 600-650 grams of impregnation will go per kilogram of biscuit.
Professional pastry chefs often use special tables to calculate the proportions of impregnation for a chocolate cake. It is worth considering that 2 tablespoons of sugar takes 3 tablespoons of water. This makes 100 grams of syrup.
If additional ingredients are included, the proportions of sugar and water will naturally change. It is worth considering the consistency of the additional product, which will replace part of the liquid or bulk component.
The simplest impregnation recipe for any kind of biscuit
Typically, any recipe for an impregnated chocolate cake provides clear guidance on how to make the cakes and cream themselves, but little information on how to make the impregnation. Often the recipe for the preparation of this component of the confectionery itself is described in detail, but the proportions are indicated approximately.
- For a half-kilogram chocolate cake, you will need about 350-400 grams of sweet syrup, which is easy to make with 8 tablespoons of sugar and 12 water.
- For a biscuit weighing 600-700 grams, you will need 450-500 milliliters of syrup, which is prepared from 9 tablespoons of sugar and 14 water.
- Prepare a basic syrup for greasing chocolate biscuits weighing 1 kg, in a volume of 600 grams, you can use 12 tablespoons of sugar and 18 tablespoons of water.
The cooking principle is the same for all options. Pour sugar into a saucepan and add water. Cook over low heat until sugar crystals dissolve. Cool and only then grease the cakes.
Alcohol impregnation for a unique chocolate cake
Impregnation is required for a chocolate confection if the recipe specifies butter cream as an interlayer between the cakes. At the same time, the taste of the cream itself will not have any restrictions on the choice.
An interesting version of the recipe for an impregnated chocolate cake can be alcohol, which will play a secondary, but quite noticeable role in shaping the taste of the dessert. In general, alcoholic beverages are often used to impregnate confectionery products. The ideal option would be the impregnation for a chocolate cake with cognac:
- 3 tablespoons of brandy. You can replace in such an amount of the presented alcohol with dessert wine.
- 6 tablespoons of sugar. Brown sugar is ideal.
- Half a glass of warm water.
The cooking principle is simple. First, the base syrup is cooked from sugar and water. It is imperative to cool the syrup to about 30 degrees. After that, alcohol is poured in. Mix all the ingredients well and can be applied to the cakes immediately. If the temperature of the syrup is below 30 degrees, then the cognac will not dissolve in the sugar syrup.
Unique impregnating cream for cake with chocolate notes
Sometimes impregnation is completely unnecessary. This option is possible when the cream itself is quite liquid and soaks the cake deeply and efficiently. Usually, the ideal companion for any kind of pastry is a chocolate cream cake soak.
To prepare the chocolate impregnation cream, you will need the following ingredients:
- Condensed milk can.
- ¼ kilogram of butter.
- 60 grams of cocoa powder.
- A pack of vanillin.
It is very simple to prepare an impregnation cream:
- Pour a can of condensed milk into a container.
- Add butter to the condensed milk, which must be cut into small pieces.
- The resulting mass must be beaten with a mixer until the cream acquires an airy consistency.
- Add vanillin and cocoa powder, beat the ingredients with a mixer again.
At this stage, the preparation of the impregnation cream ends, you can start using the finished product.
for biscuit cake
A good combination is a citrus base and a chocolate sponge cake with any cream. Making citrus syrup is easy, but it takes about 6 hours to brew. Citrus syrup for soaking a chocolate cake is prepared according to the following scheme:
- In a 1: 1 ratio, mix water and sugar. Put the container on a small fire, and while stirring, bring to the point where the crystals are completely dissolved.
- When the syrup has cooled slightly, add finely grated citrus peel to it.
- After 5-6 hours, strain the syrup by removing the zest.
The citrus syrup for the chocolate biscuit is completely ready.
Cherry impregnation for the original taste of chocolate dessert
The perfect pairing is chocolate and cherry, which is why many chocolate sponge cake recipes include a cherry cream base. Cherry-soaked chocolate cake can also include a touch of alcohol.
For cherry impregnation, you will need the following products:
- 100 grams of pitted fresh cherries.
- 30 milliliters of brandy.
- Glass of water.
- 40 grams of sugar.
Prepare a fragrant version of the cherry impregnation:
- Place the peeled cherries in a saucepan and cover the berries with water.
- Boil the berries over low heat.
- After the cherries have shriveled and the water turns red, the berries must be completely removed.
- Cool the broth slightly.
- Pour sugar into warm water and pour out brandy, stir well.
When the sugar crystals dissolve, you can start using the viscous substance.
Chocolate impregnation
Chocolate impregnation will be a real find for a chocolate biscuit. There are several options for its preparation:
- Chocolate impregnation for sponge cake can be prepared based on base syrup, to which melted chocolate is added. The proportions of chocolate and syrup can be selected according to preference.
- You can prepare a chocolate soak, which will not penetrate into the base of the biscuit immediately, but it will turn out to be no less tasty. It is enough to mix melted chocolate and butter in a 2: 1 ratio. Sometimes melted chocolate is mixed with a little water.
- Some self-taught pastry chefs simply heat the chocolate and pour it generously with cakes. In this case, the result can be unpredictable, since it completely depends on the quality and composition of the tile or confectionery glaze.
When using such impregnations for biscuit, it takes some time for the composition to penetrate into the "pores" of the cakes, making them soft and soft.
Non-alcoholic impregnation options
In addition to standard impregnation options, namely chocolate, cherry and cognac, there is a huge variety of recipes. All of them are based on sugar syrup, and additional flavor and aroma are obtained through additional additives.
The following impregnations for alcohol-free chocolate cake are especially popular:
- citrus;
- strawberry;
- raspberry;
- coffee;
- dairy;
- vanilla;
- banana.
Basically, the standard sugar syrup is brewed first. When the sticky base cools down, the auxiliary ingredient is added in a selected proportion. Each variation should be ideally combined with the cream, otherwise the taste of the entire confection will be spoiled.
In the case of fruits, the ingredient itself is not always boiled in water; mashed potatoes can be used. Pureed fruit is poured into the syrup. It is desirable that at the time of connection, the ingredients were already cooled and at about the same temperature.
Rules for the use of impregnation
It is necessary not only to choose the perfect impregnation to taste, but also to prepare it correctly. When the main points are taken into account, one should not forget about the correct use of impregnation. It is important to apply the emollient component to the base of the cake according to the regulations in order to maintain the texture of the biscuit.
How to use the impregnation for a chocolate cake correctly:
- It is worthwhile to evenly divide the total amount of impregnation between all the cakes.
- Divide each mini portion into 2 more parts.
- Using a tablespoon, spread one part of the syrup over the surface. Perform this procedure with each cake.
- A few minutes after distributing the first portion of the sweet spread, you need to repeat the procedure with the second part of the consistency.
In such a situation, the cakes are fully saturated and allow the cream to penetrate the pores of the biscuit, making it tender and juicy. Another application option involves the distribution of the first portion over the cake using a pastry bag or syringe. It is worth using a fine-tipped nozzle for this purpose.
The syrup is ideally absorbed into the cakes, which have stood for about 10 hours. After moisturizing with syrup, you need to wait another quarter of an hour, and then apply the cream. To combine the flavors of cream, chocolate biscuit and impregnation, the cake needs to stand for another 5 hours before serving.
Base of cocoa powder and coffee for impregnating the cake
Often, for chocolate biscuit cakes, creams are used that do not contain fresh fruits or berries. Therefore, a coffee base is often used as an impregnation for standard types of creams. Particularly popular are impregnations for cocoa chocolate cake.
Chocolate icing can also be an ideal substitute for impregnation. It is enough to melt the butter in a water bath. Add sugar and gradually add cocoa powder. The consistency depends on the proportion of oil in the total mass.
The coffee option is just as easy to prepare. First, a basic syrup is prepared from sugar and water. Next, you need to brew natural ground coffee. It is enough to use only 30-50 grams of coffee as an additive. Sometimes a product is used from coffee machines or coffee machines. This is an alternative with a question that deals specifically with quality.
It is possible to use the two presented options at once within the framework of one confectionery. Cut cakes are greased one by one. In this case, the application rules are followed. One cake must be lubricated with one type of impregnation.
Sponge cakes are the ideal raw material for making homemade cakes. They are baked quickly and easily, but they turn out to be very soft, fluffy and tasty.
We will tell you about the ingredients from which biscuit cakes are prepared in the presented article. From it you will learn about how such a base for a cake is impregnated, what creams are used to lubricate it and how a dessert is formed.
Sponge cakes: recipe for step-by-step cooking
There are many options for how to bake a fluffy and soft sponge cake at home. A wide variety of products can be used for this. However, one ingredient always remains the same. These are chicken eggs. It is they who contribute to obtaining tasty and fluffy cakes.
You may need 4-5 eggs to make a standard cake. In addition to them, other products are added to the dough. Which ones, we will tell you right now.
So, in order to bake fluffy and soft biscuit cakes at home, you need to prepare:
- fat sour cream - about 200 g;
- large chicken eggs - 5 pcs.;
- soda quenched with table vinegar - an incomplete dessert spoon;
- white sugar - about 260 g;
- sunflower oil - 10 ml (for lubricating the mold);
- light flour - about 300 g.
Knead the dough
The presented recipe for a biscuit cake base is considered a classic. It does not require the purchase of expensive products, and also does not take a lot of time.
To knead the dough, chicken eggs are pre-divided into whites and yolks. The yolks are thoroughly ground together with sugar (white), and then sour cream is added to them. While the sweet product is dissolving, they begin to process proteins. They are pre-cooled and then whipped into a very strong foam. Subsequently, it is laid out to the yolks and thoroughly mixed again.
Soda quenched with table vinegar and light flour are added to the resulting mass. All ingredients are well altered with a spoon and immediately proceed to heat treatment.
Baking the product in the oven
The biscuit cakes, photos of which are presented in this article, are baked quite quickly. To do this, take a deep split form and lubricate it with sunflower oil. Then all the biscuit dough is placed in a bowl and immediately sent to the oven.
At a temperature of 198-200 degrees, the product is baked for a whole hour. After the specified time, the cake should increase in size, become fluffy, ruddy and soft.
The readiness of the biscuit can be checked as follows: a toothpick or a match is stuck into the thickness of the product. If nothing sticks to the object (raw dough), then the cake can be safely removed. Otherwise, it must be left in the oven for a while.
Cutting the biscuit
Of course, the biscuit cakes can be baked separately in the oven. However, we suggest placing the entire dough into the mold at once.
After the product is ready, it is removed from the dishes, placed on a flat surface and cooled. In the future, the biscuit is cut into several cakes 1.5 centimeters thick. To do this, use a large kitchen knife.
By the way, if the edges of the product are uneven, then they should also be cut off. To do this, put a plate of the appropriate diameter on the biscuit (slightly smaller than the cake) and cut off unnecessary parts.
In the event that you decide to bake the cakes separately, then the dough must be divided into several equal parts (4 or 5) in advance. They are alternately laid out in a greased dish and baked for about 40 minutes.
The downside of this method is that it takes a lot of time. In addition, the baked cakes can turn out differently, which will make the cake uneven and not very beautiful.
Other ways to make cakes
Now you know how classic biscuit cakes are made. The recipe presented above is the most popular among housewives. However, it should be noted that there are other methods for preparing such a product. For example, some cooks additionally add condensed milk to the dough. Also, a biscuit is often made with kefir or yogurt. In addition, baking powder can be added to the dough instead of slaked soda.
If you decide to make an original dessert, we recommend preparing the base using candied fruits, nuts, citrus peel. Often, a sponge cake recipe for a cake includes a component such as cocoa. With it, you will get a very tasty chocolate treat, especially if you use the appropriate cream.
Making a sweet soak
How to soak biscuit cakes? This question is very often asked by those housewives who want to get the most juicy and tender cake.
There are many options here. However, ordinary syrup is the most popular among culinary specialists. To prepare it, we need:
- boiled water - 2 glasses;
- coarse white sugar - 5 large spoons.
Cooking process
To prepare sugar syrup, you just need to combine both of these components and boil them over a fire for about 6 minutes. The cakes are thoroughly impregnated with the resulting liquid, and then used for their intended purpose.
By the way, if you decide in advance to use sweet syrup, then it is recommended to add a little less sugar to the dough. Otherwise, the dessert may turn out to be sugary.
Other types of impregnation
Now you know how to soak biscuit cakes. However, it should be noted that sugar syrup is not the only way to get a juicy and tender cake. So, some culinary specialists use store-bought liquor diluted with water as an impregnation. With it, the dessert acquires a special aroma and taste.
If you decide to make a strawberry, cherry or raspberry cake, then it is recommended to soak the biscuit with syrup taken from the corresponding jam. If it is too thick and contains a lot of berries, then strain it and dilute it with the right amount of boiling water.
Step-by-step recipe for a cake from ready-made biscuit cakes
Nowadays, it is easier to get a cake in the store than to bake it yourself. However, no store-bought dessert beats homemade ones. Therefore, we recommend that you prepare such a delicacy only with your own hands.
In the event that, for one reason or another, you are unable to bake a lush and tasty biscuit, you can buy it at any time in the nearest store.
Of course, ready-made biscuit cakes differ from self-prepared ones. However, you can also make a delicious and beautiful cake out of them, which all members of your family will surely appreciate.
So, a cake recipe from ready-made biscuit cakes requires application:
- uncooked condensed milk - 1 standard can;
- high fat butter - 170 g;
- ready-made cakes (chocolate or light) - 1 pack;
- “Jubilee” cookies, chopped roasted nuts or cocoa - use at your discretion (to decorate the dessert).
Making a delicious cream
A cake made from ready-made biscuit cakes is made very quickly. Therefore, most housewives prefer to purchase such products in the store, rather than bake them on their own. Moreover, the main advantage of purchased cakes is that with the help of them the dessert always turns out to be smooth and surprisingly beautiful.
But before you form a cake from ready-made biscuit cakes, you still have to do a little work. After all, the condensed cream is not yet sold in supermarkets. To prepare it, high-fat butter is left at room temperature for several hours. Then put the soft cooking fat in a deep bowl and begin to beat with a mixer at the highest speed. In the process of such processing, condensed milk is gradually poured into the butter. After a few minutes, a very lush and high-calorie cream is obtained.
How to shape correctly?
The recipe for a cake made from ready-made biscuit cakes in question requires the use of a large cake dish. We will need it not only in order to beautifully serve the dessert to guests, but also in order to shape it.
Thus, one of the ready-made cakes is spread on the prepared cake dish, and then it is soaked in syrup (if desired) and smeared with condensed cream. Then lay out the second biscuit and do exactly the same with it.
After all the cakes are used up, the formed cake is completely greased with the remains of the cream (including the side parts) and proceeds to decorate it.
Decorating dessert
Homemade cakes can be decorated with a variety of products. Someone uses ordinary cocoa powder for this, and someone grates dark chocolate. Also, a dessert sprinkled with chopped roasted nuts or crumbs from shortbread cookies turns out to be beautiful and tasty.
We bring to the dining table
As mentioned above, recipes with ready-made biscuit cakes are very popular among housewives. And this is not surprising. After all, such a cake is made in just 60 minutes.
Once the homemade dessert has been formed and decorated properly, it is immediately sent to the refrigerator. During the stay of baking in the cold for several hours, the impregnation for biscuit cakes will do the trick, and you will definitely get a juicy and most tender delicacy.
Over time, the finished dessert is taken out of the refrigerator and served. After the guests appreciate the culinary skills of the hostess, the dessert is cut into portions, distributed in beautiful saucers and presented to friends along with a cup of hot tea.
Making sour cream
We described above how a thickened cream for biscuit cakes is made. However, there are other ways to prepare such a treat.
If you do not use impregnation for biscuit cakes, then the cream for them should not be made too thick. Otherwise, you will get a dry and not very tasty cake. Sour cream is an ideal option for such a dessert. To make it at home, we need:
- high fat sour cream - about 500 g;
- granulated sugar - about 200 g
Cooking method
As in the previous recipe, you will need a little free time to make a homemade cream. Place the high-fat sour cream in a deep bowl and then beat vigorously using a mixer. Having received a lush milk mass, granulated sugar is gradually poured into it. If desired, it can be replaced with regular icing sugar.
Continuing to beat the ingredients for a while, a very light and airy cream is obtained, which is immediately used for its intended purpose.
Formation process
It doesn’t matter which cream for biscuit cakes you took. In any case, it should be used exactly as presented in the previous recipe. Sour cream is evenly applied to all the cakes, which, in turn, are laid out in a pile.
Having formed the dessert, it is also covered with a sweet milk mass, and then decorated using berries, fruits, chocolate, whipped cream in cans, and more.
Cooking curd cream
We described above how biscuit cake cakes are made. If, along with sour cream and eggs, a small amount of cottage cheese was added to the dough, then it is more advisable to make the cream with the addition of the same dairy product. This will give you a delicious and nutritious dessert that kids will especially love.
Cottage cheese cream is very often used by chefs to make homemade cake. It is considered not only the simplest, but also the lowest in calories.
For its quick preparation, we need:
- low fat cottage cheese - about 400 g;
- thick cream 30% - about 250 ml;
- vanillin - apply to taste;
- fine sugar - add to taste.
How to cook?
If you have purchased coarse-grained cottage cheese, then it is recommended to first grind it through a sieve. Only in this case you will get the most delicate and delicious dessert.
After you have a homogeneous curd mass, it is placed in a deep container, and then whipped with a blender at high speed. In the process of such mixing, granulated sugar, heavy cream and vanillin are gradually added to the dairy product.
Beat all the ingredients until you get a rather thick and fluffy mass. Having tasted it, you can additionally add powdered sugar or any other ingredients (for example, zest, nuts, cocoa, etc.) to it.
How to shape?
Forming a sponge cake with curd cream is easy and simple. But due to the fact that such a delicacy turns out to be too thick, it is not able to make the cakes juicy. Therefore, before applying it, biscuits must be impregnated with some kind of impregnation. For this, it is good to use sugar syrup or a solution made from liqueur.
By applying curd cream for the cake, you will make not only a very beautiful and voluminous, but also a delicious and healthy dessert.
Making delicious chocolate cream
Biscuit cake cakes are versatile raw materials. It is suitable for all creams including custard, buttercream, butter, protein, etc.
If you decide to make a chocolate dessert, we recommend that you grease the cakes with chocolate cream. So you get a very beautiful dark product with a pronounced characteristic aroma and taste.
So, to make chocolate cream at home, we need:
- egg yolk - from one large egg;
- cold water - 1 large spoon;
- condensed milk - about 120 g;
- softened butter - about 200 g;
- cocoa - 3 large spoons.
Cooking a chocolate treat
There is nothing difficult in making chocolate cream. To do this, take 1 egg yolk, add a large spoonful of cold water to it and mix well. Then condensed milk is added to the ingredients. Also, in a separate bowl, beat the softened butter strongly.
After the described steps, all the ingredients are combined and continue to stir. After adding the required amount of cocoa powder to the dishes, beat the cream until a thick and lush dark mass is obtained.
If you decide to use this particular cream recipe to form the cake, then the cakes should be soaked in syrup. Otherwise, the dessert will be dry.
The only drawback of chocolate cream with condensed milk is its high calorie content.
Let's summarize
Using the materials of the presented article, you can independently not only bake fluffy biscuit cakes, but also make impregnation, as well as cake cream.
If you do not have time to knead the dough with your own hands, and then subject it to heat treatment, then we recommend using ready-made cakes, which are sold in almost every store. How exactly to use them, as well as to form homemade desserts from them, has also been described in this article.
In American pastry traditions, it is customary to use thick biscuit cakes smeared with butter cream for cakes. For our sweet tooth, this is absolutely unacceptable, so we often use impregnation for the cake, which gives the dessert juiciness and tenderness.
Sugar impregnation for biscuit cake
In fairness, it should be noted that not all types of biscuits need to be impregnated. “Red Velvet”, “Hummingbirds”, “Chiffon Biscuits”, “Dark Larry” are obtained sufficiently moist, but a delicious cake cannot be made from a classic biscuit without moisture.
So, the sugar type of impregnation is the most popular and the most budgetary. It is easy to prepare, and the syrup contains only water, sugar and alcohol (cognac, rum, port or liqueur).
Since cakes of different diameters, and, therefore, weight, will require a different amount of liquid for soaking, it is convenient to use proportions per 100 g of finished sugar syrup, in which a tablespoon acts as a measure of weight and volume.
Thus, the specified amount of sugar impregnation will require:
- 3 tablespoons of water;
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar;
- ½ spoon of brandy.
Cooking steps:
- Put sugar and water in a bowl with a thick bottom over medium heat and bring to a boil with continuous stirring. So that the resulting syrup does not have to be impregnated, interfering, you need to make sure that sugar crystals do not fall on the walls.
- The boiled solution can be removed from the stove without delay, or you can let it gurgle for a few minutes, cool a little and add alcohol.
With berries and cognac
Cake impregnation syrup can be made with the addition of berry composition. Depending on the base chosen, the finished dessert will have its own unique flavor. So, cherry flavor goes well with chocolate biscuit.
To prepare a cherry soak with cognac, you need to prepare:
- 75 g fresh pitted cherries;
- 220 ml of water;
- 55 g sugar;
- 30 ml of cognac.
Progress:
- Fold the washed berries without tails and seeds into a saucepan, pour water over them and bring to a boil. Boil for two to three minutes and let cool at room temperature to 30 - 35 degrees.
- Catch all the berries from the warm broth (if they are small, you can simply strain through a sieve), add sugar, pour in brandy and stir. As soon as the last sweet crystal dissolves, the impregnation is ready.
With caramel flavor from condensed milk
Boiled condensed milk has a pleasant caramel taste, but in its pure form it will not work to soak the cakes, since this product is too thick.
Therefore, it will have to be diluted a little with milk in the following ratio:
- 150 g of boiled condensed milk;
- 150 g of milk;
- 15 ml of brandy.
Cooking method:
- Put a refractory container with milk on fire and heat a little, then put boiled condensed milk and stir well until it is completely melted.
- After that, cool the milk-caramel impregnation and mix with the cognac. The result is a coffee-colored solution with a pleasant tart taste.
Coffee impregnation for milk cake
Coffee lovers will love juicy biscuits soaked in a sweet coffee solution with added milk. The specific aroma will perfectly complement and set off the taste of the chocolate cakes.
To prepare such an impregnation, you will need:
- 36 g of natural ground coffee;
- 180 g granulated sugar;
- 125 ml of water;
- 125 mo milk;
- 15 - 20 ml of cognac or coffee liqueur.
Priority of actions:
- Combine milk with sugar and heat over a fire until the sweet grains of sand are completely dissolved.
- Brew coffee in the specified amount of milliliters of water. After boiling, set the Turk with a fragrant drink aside for 15 - 20 minutes to infuse.
- Strain the finished coffee, mix with sweet milk and liqueur.
Cooking with lemon juice
Lemon soak is suitable for classic, vanilla or Queen Victoria biscuits. In the hot season, you should definitely add a little alcohol to it, which will act as a preservative and will help keep the dessert fresh longer.
If you are concerned that the soaking mixture will be too acidic, you can use other citrus fruits (for example, orange or lime).
The proportions of products in the syrup:
- 250 ml of water;
- 90 g sugar;
- ½ lemon (juice and zest);
- 30 ml of cognac.
How to make lemon juice cake soak sugar syrup:
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan or saucepan. Put the sweet solution on fire and bring to a boil.
- While the syrup is boiling, thinly remove the zest from the lemon and let the juice survive. Sugar and water should be boiled for 4 - 5 minutes, then you need to remove the stewpan from the stove, add juice and zest to its contents, cover the composition with a lid and leave to cool completely.
- Strain the cooled impregnation, add cognac, mix and use for its intended purpose.
Not only the soaking of the cakes should cool, but they themselves should not be hot. It is good that they generally lie down in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for at least several hours.
Honey based
You can replace the usual sugar in the impregnation with honey. Not only connoisseurs of this beekeeping product know that one or another of its varieties (flower, buckwheat, herbs, acacia) can differ significantly in taste and make the taste of baked goods unique.
To prevent this syrup from becoming too cloying, it is recommended to add a little orange or lemon juice to it, which will balance the excessive sweetness.
One portion of such a solution includes:
- 150 ml of water;
- 40 - 50 g of honey;
- ½ orange;
- 30 ml of cognac.
Preparation:
- Squeeze juice from a half of a citrus fruit in any way possible. Combine it with water, bring to a boil, and then let cool to below 60 degrees. Only at such a temperature regime are all the useful substances that honey is rich in preserved.
- Add honey and cognac to the slightly cooled base, mix everything until smooth and you can start impregnating the biscuits.
Honey impregnation will be an ideal complement for light cakes, layered with sour cream.
Milk impregnation for cake
The popular dairy soak can be made in two different ways: with whole cow's milk and sugar, or with water and condensed milk. Which one to choose, only their own taste preferences will be able to suggest, and below will be the proportions and cooking algorithm for each of the types.
For the first version of the syrup you will need:
- 200 ml of milk of any fat content;
- 60 g granulated sugar.
Preparation:
- Combine milk with sugar and boil for about two minutes.
- Then cool the sweet milk mixture to room temperature, and it is ready.
Condensed milk impregnation contains:
- 200 ml of condensed milk;
- 225 ml of water;
- vanilla to taste.
Cooking technology:
- Bring water to a boil on the stove, the liquid should actively gurgle.
- Put the condensed milk into a container of a suitable displacement, pour it on top with a steep stew, add vanilla and mix.
- The cooled syrup can be impregnated with cakes.
Chocolate syrup for cake impregnation
This syrup is prepared from:
- 120 ml of water;
- 30 ml of cognac or other alcohol;
- 150 g of sugar (brown is better);
- 35 g cocoa powder;
- 1 - 2 g vanillin;
- 3 g of salt.
How to make a chocolate soak:
- Pour cocoa powder into a saucepan. Then gradually pouring in water, stir so that there are no lumps. Then, with constant stirring, warm up the mixture until the components are completely melted.
- Then add sugar, stir it, add salt and vanillin.
- Boil the syrup for about three minutes after boiling.
- Like other syrups, the chocolate soak is used after cooling.
The method of impregnation is of great importance for the juiciness of the finished cake. In order for the cakes to be evenly saturated with syrup, it does not need to be applied with a spoon, the best result will be achieved if you use a cooking brush or spray bottle.