How to soak a sponge cake with syrup? Rum baba - a quick recipe.

About that baba that was sold back in Soviet times, many people dream of – aromatic, juicy and incredibly tasty. I must say that preparing rum baba according to the GOST recipe is quite long and tedious, but such sacrifices are not necessary, because everything can be done much faster and easier. I suggest quick recipe baba, which will allow you to cook incredible food in no time delicious treat from childhood. Moreover, the taste of rum baba, prepared using fast technology, is practically no different from the old classic.

Ingredients:

• dough:
• 150 ml. milk or water
• 1 tbsp. Sahara
• 1 tbsp. flour
• 25 gr. pressed yeast or 9 gr. dry
• yeast dough
• 1 egg + 1 yolk
• 100 gr. Sahara
• 2.5 cups flour (400 gr.)
• 100 gr. butter
• 1 tsp vanilla sugar
• pinch of salt
• 50 gr. raisins (optional)
• impregnation:
• 200 ml. water
• 100 gr. Sahara
• 2 tbsp. Roma (optional)
• icing:
• 250 gr. powdered sugar

Yeast dough for rum baba

• We will prepare sponge dough for our woman, but don’t let the word “dough” scare you. No, you don’t have to watch the dough all evening, we’ll make everything much faster and easier.
• First, let's make a liquid dough that fits literally before our eyes. So, pour 150 ml into a large bowl. warm milk or water. The temperature of the liquid should be no higher than 40°C, slightly warmer to the touch than body temperature.

• Add a tablespoon of sugar.

• Add a tablespoon of flour. Mix. We got just perfect nutrient medium for yeast - warm, loose, and even with sugar and flour - a real paradise for yeast)))))

• Now add either dry or compressed yeast. Pre-knead the pressed ones with your hands.

• Mix everything and put the dough in a warm place for 30 minutes.

• From such deliciousness, the yeast quickly wakes up and begins to divide intensively, increasing in volume.
• Important!!! The temperature of the dough should not exceed 45ºС, otherwise the yeast will cook, and you can forget about delicious, melt-in-your-mouth rum baba.
• After half an hour, the dough rises several times.

• Add beaten eggs to the suitable dough (1 egg + 1 yolk). We first take the eggs out of the refrigerator so that they warm up - cold ingredients will slow down the fermentation of the yeast, but we don’t need this, because we want to prepare the rum baba quickly.

• Add half a glass of sugar (100 g).

• Put 2 cups of flour (160 grams of flour is placed in one 250 ml glass, pour in a small heap).

• Mix the dough.

• But that's not all, you should add butter into the dough. Place the butter out of the refrigerator in advance so that it warms up to room temperature(regular butter, not melted butter).

• Butter add in parts, knead with your hand directly in the bowl. At first, the oil is difficult to incorporate, but then the dough begins to absorb the oil better.
• Knead the dough, pulling it up, for 10-15 minutes to properly saturate it with oxygen. As you knead, the dough changes in structure, becomes more elastic, and stretches easily))))

• And finally, add raisins to the dough. If the raisins are dry, then first soak them in water or cognac, then carefully drain the liquid. If the raisins are soft, then you can immediately add them to the dough.

• Cover the yeast dough with a napkin and place in a warm place for an hour and a half.

• If everything was done correctly (used good yeast+ withstood the heat regime), then in an hour and a half the dough increases in volume three to four times.

• By the way, when you begin to remove the finished yeast dough from the vessel, you can clearly see that the dough literally consists of “threads” and air cavities.


Rum baba - preparation

• So, ready dough Place on a work surface sprinkled with flour. Lightly roll the dough in flour and form into a flat cake. The dough turns out loose, much softer and airier than for Easter cakes or yeast pies.

• Grease the molds vegetable oil, put a piece of dough into each mold. The dough should fill 1/3 of the mold. Lightly press a piece of dough to form a more or less flat surface. If you just form a ball and put it in the mold, then during baking a tall round cap will rise, but for rum women you don’t need such a steep cap.
• Fill all the molds in the same way, and then put them in a warm place for 30 minutes so that the dough rises again. This stage is called proofing the dough, it is very important, so we don’t skip it.

• When the women grow up, place the baking sheet with the molds in a well-heated oven (turn it on in advance). Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven to avoid burning the rum baba on top or bottom.
• We bake our buns (or cupcakes) at 180°C. Baking time depends on the size of the buns and the type of oven, approximately 20-25 minutes.

• Ready baked goods Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and then carefully remove from the molds. Turn the baked cupcakes over with the wide side down and leave to cool.

Rum impregnation

• I must say that up to this point we were simply preparing air yeast buns in the form of small cupcakes, but this bun will turn into rum baba only after soaking in sugar syrup. Prepare the syrup as usual: pour water, add sugar.

• Stirring, bring the mixture to a boil. Cook the syrup for a couple of minutes, turn off. The amount of sugar in the syrup can be reduced to suit your taste, but remember that real baba is always quite sweet.
• Cool the syrup, add a couple of tablespoons of rum, cognac or fruit liqueur if desired. Although baba is called rum, it is not necessary to add alcohol.
• Important!!! You can soak the baked goods only after they have cooled completely, preferably the next day. Another thing is that until the morning these airy and incredible fragrant buns They don’t make it, they’re always missing two or three things.
• Eat different ways impregnation of rum women. You can prick each baba with a toothpick, and then immerse the baba in the syrup for a few seconds. But I don’t really like this method, since the surface of the woman gets wet, and then you have to wait until it dries.

• Simpler and quick way impregnation - use a regular medical or special syringe for impregnation. With this method, the woman is soaked from the inside, while its surface remains dry.
• You can try both methods and choose the one you like best. The amount of impregnation is individual: some people like it lightly impregnated, while others like it with a large amount of impregnation.

Sugar glaze for baba

• Instead of classic sugar icing, I recommend making quick glaze based on powdered sugar. It takes exactly 30 seconds, I'm not kidding.
• So, pour half of the powdered sugar into a small bowl and add water a little at a time. Mix and get icing sugar.

• Attention! The glaze should be made quite thick so that it spreads in a thick layer. Adjusting the density of the glaze is very simple. If liquid, then add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a little water.
• Apply the glaze. If desired, we paint only the tops of the rum baba or apply glaze with picturesque drips.

• This sugar glaze hardens very quickly, so you can taste our masterpiece almost immediately. Although, it is still better for the rum women to stand for a while better impregnation sweet syrup. I also recommend trying

Among all the variety of baked goods, classic and newfangled recipes, sponge cake does not lose its popularity. Mild taste and airy consistency make it a favorite treat for those with a sweet tooth of any age. Moreover, biscuits are more suitable for children than other desserts: they have a minimum of ingredients, and only natural ones, and their soft structure is easy to chew. Elderly people prefer sponge cakes and cakes for the same reason. And all other gourmands can afford to diversify the traditional biscuit dough in taste, aromatic and decorative ways.

The simplest and most universal is soaking sponge cakes with syrup. An accessible and uncomplicated technique is suitable for an almost countless number of options. For every taste, age, holiday and just whim, you can invent and implement new varieties. And in general, the syrup transforms quite dry into basic variation sponge cake, makes it more moist and tender. This is just a godsend for young housewives or those who don’t have much time for culinary delights. After all, with the help different syrups You can create new, different works of confectionery art from identical cake layers.

Recipes for syrups for soaking sponge cakes
To impregnate the biscuit, syrups and sweet sauces of varying degrees of complexity and cost are used. For dessert to romantic dinner these may include alcoholic beverages that are inappropriate in syrups for children's cakes. But the variety of essences, fruit juices and flavors allows you to experiment with existing ones and create new syrup recipes to suit your taste. Try one of these we like:

1. Sugar syrup for biscuits. Essentially, this is a base, a sweet liquid, into which you can add any flavoring or aromatic component to add originality. But initially the syrup recipe for sponge cakes and pastries consists of sugar and drinking water in a volume ratio of 2:3. Stir ingredients and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam and cool the syrup. Only cooled syrup is suitable for flavoring.
   
2. Vanilla syrup for sponge cake. Add vanillin to cooled syrup or use immediately vanilla sugar instead of regular refined sugar.
   
3. Cognac syrup for sponge cake. Pour two tablespoons of cognac into the cooled sugar syrup and stir until the liquids are completely combined. The option with rum and bourbon instead of cognac is also popular.
   
4. Coffee syrup for sponge cake. Pour a small cup of freshly brewed espresso into the bowl with the cooled syrup. You will get the perfect syrup for soaking chocolate sponge cake.
   
5. Citrus syrup for sponge cake. Stir the zest and freshly squeezed juice without pulp of lemon, lime or orange into the base syrup.
   
6. Fruit syrup for sponge cake. Use any natural juice or even liquid jam without pulp and seeds for imparting sugar syrup fruit color and aroma. Apricot, cherry and pomegranate juices are especially suitable for this.
   
7. Chocolate syrup for sponge cake. Brew rich cocoa or simply dissolve chocolate powder in the main syrup.
   
8. Liquor syrup for biscuit. All liqueurs perfectly complement the taste of sugar syrup. By adding coconut, Baileys or Cointreau, the impregnation becomes even sweeter. Limoncello gives it more spicy taste. And in general, almost any alcoholic drink, including vodka, is suitable for enriching syrup.
   

Ideally, after removing from the oven or bread machine, the cakes should be allowed to sit for at least 3, and preferably 6, hours. You can spend this time preparing the syrup, which still needs time to cool to room temperature. Use a special culinary brush made of synthetic bristles or silicone. Some housewives are accustomed to using a teaspoon, which, in general, is not important and depends only on your convenience. The main thing is to follow this sequence of actions:
You can decorate the biscuit and serve it only after the syrup has been completely absorbed. But it’s better to place the moistened cakes on top of each other right away. This promotes better flavoring and will make the cake more stable.

Attention!

Impregnation is needed for only one type of cake: sponge cake. It will soften the crust that forms on them during baking and remove excess dryness.

Shortbread and puff desserts will spread due to additional moisture; a simple cream layer is enough for them.

How to choose the right coating for a cake

There is a base syrup for moistening sponge cakes. It is prepared very simply using ingredients that are always on hand.

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp. water;
• 4 tbsp. Sahara.

Preparation

1. Mix both components, pour the liquid into a saucepan with a thick bottom and place on slow fire. Stir continuously until the sugar is completely dissolved, and then leave the mixture to boil.
2. As soon as foam appears on the surface, remove the syrup and cool. If desired, you can add ½ tsp to the slightly warm liquid. vanilla sugar.

Classic impregnation is ready. Since its taste can be considered neutral, it is suitable for any biscuit.

Attention!

If you need to cook more syrup, it is important to follow the proportions indicated in the recipe. Too thin a solution will “fall apart” confectionery, and a rich one will make it overly sweet.

It is also necessary to adhere to the following relationship: for 1 kg of cakes – 600 g of impregnation and 1.2 kg of cream – then our dessert will turn out perfect.

Do you want the product to be not only pleasantly moist, but also fragrant? Knowing how to prepare sugar syrup for soaking a cake, it’s not difficult to diversify its taste by adding:

• milk, condensed milk, sour cream
• fruit and berry juices
• liquid jam or marmalade
• citrus
• alcoholic drinks: liqueur, rum, cognac, sweet wine.

At the same time, it is important that the impregnation goes well with the other ingredients in the cake: cream, fillings (if any), a layer of jam, and so on.

If the dessert is intended for children, alcohol should be excluded from it.

How to soak sponge cake layers: popular recipes

We offer several options for impregnation with fillers that will add their own touch to the overall “symphony” of a luxurious dessert. Instead of berry and fruit juices, you can take similar liqueurs or tinctures, as well as jam slightly diluted with water.

All flavors are added to the cooled sugar syrup, otherwise their taste will be weak.

Lemon soak

It will add a slight sourness to the dessert, creating a pleasant contrast with the sweet cream and fillings. Syrup with lemon is more suitable for light cakes, without adding cocoa; for dark cakes you can use orange.


There are several options for preparing impregnation.

1st method

We will need:

• ½ large lemon
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara
• 1 cup boiling water.

Preparation

1. Wash the lemon and cut into small pieces.
2. Add sugar and grind until juice appears.
3. Pour boiling water over it, stir until the sugar dissolves, and let the infusion cool. You can add vanilla to the cooled syrup. The impregnation is ready.

2nd method

We will need:

• ½ lemon
• classic sugar syrup in the above proportions
• ½ tsp. vanilla.

Preparation

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add the grated zest. Pour in syrup at room temperature, stir well. You can enhance the taste with natural vanilla.

3rd method

Lemon juice in the impregnation can be replaced with tincture. The taste of the cake will be brighter and richer.

We will need:

• 2 – 3 tbsp. l. lemon tincture
• a serving of classic sugar syrup (½ cup).

Preparation

Pour the tincture into the cooled syrup and stir.

For the tincture:

• 1 large lemon
• 6 tbsp. vodka.

Preparation

1. Grind the lemon in a blender.
2. Fill the resulting mass with vodka, place it in a glass bottle and keep it in a dark place for 2 days. Shake the tincture periodically.
3. Then strain and store in the refrigerator.

Can be used instead homemade tincture ready-made Limoncello liqueur, while reducing the amount of sugar in the base syrup.

The impregnation turns out to be very elegant when the juice of half a lemon is added to a glass of green tea.

Coffee impregnation

Ideal for chocolate cakes butter cream. If desired, you can enhance the taste of the soaking with cognac (1 tbsp.).

We will need:

• 2 tbsp. freshly ground coffee
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 glass of water.

Preparation

1. Divide the water in half and brew coffee without sugar from one part.
2. Let the drink steep for 15 minutes, preferably in a warm place for better extraction, then strain. Make syrup from the second half of water and sugar. Let's combine it with coffee, cool everything together to room temperature and we can moisten the cake.

Cognac impregnation

For lovers strong drinks You will definitely like this recipe.

It will require:

• 3 tbsp. l. cognac
• serving of base syrup (100 g water per 100 g sugar)

Preparation

Mix the cooled solution and cognac; nothing else is needed for our impregnation.

If you want to get a richer taste, instead of regular syrup, you can use jam diluted with water, sweet coffee or cocoa without milk, fruit juice. In short, there is a lot of room for experimentation.

Let us emphasize once again that cognac (rum, liqueur, wine) is poured into completely cooled syrup, otherwise the alcohol will high temperature will evaporate and the taste we need will be lost.

Sour cream impregnation

The best option if the sponge cakes are too dry. Thanks to sour cream, the cake will turn out very tender; it will definitely appeal not only to adults, but also to children.

Ingredients:

• 500 g sour cream, 10% fat
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara
• ½ tsp. vanilla.

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients and place in the refrigerator for half an hour until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Beat the mixture with a whisk to make it airy and apply to the cakes.

Impregnation for honey cake

The “honey cake” has its own rich aroma and our main task is to try to emphasize it, and not to interrupt it.


The best option is syrup with honey.

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 tbsp. l. honey
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara
• 2 medium lemons.

Preparation

1. Squeeze juice from lemons.
2. Mix it with honey and sugar.
3. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Apply the syrup while warm, the cake will turn out very juicy and tasty.

If you like alcoholic impregnations, you can add white to the base dessert wine or cognac.

Impregnation for Prague cake: recipe from the USSR

The incredibly popular dessert “Prague” today is our Soviet heritage. At that time, the chef of the Moscow restaurant of the same name was famous pastry chef Mikhail Guralnik, who gave those with a sweet tooth several iconic delicacies, including Bird’s Milk.

The maestro decided to make a cake that was not inferior in taste to the legendary Viennese Sacher. And so “Prague” was born, which we still bake with pleasure for the holidays.

The Soviet dessert was prepared according to GOST and provided for chocolate cakes impregnation from apricot jam. Moreover, according to classic recipe, the confiture was applied only to the top layer and sides of the cake before covering it chocolate icing. But if desired, if we are afraid that the cakes will remain a little dry, we can moisten each of them.

Apricot impregnation

• 100 g jam
• ¾ glass of water
• 3 tbsp. l. cognac

Preparation

1. Dilute the jam with water and heat it a little over the fire, without bringing it to a boil.
2. We rub the mixture through a sieve so that there are no large pieces.
3. Add cognac to the cooled impregnation (you can do without it).

Attention!

Apply jam, not diluted with water, to the top and sides of the cake.

Some recipes allow the use of pure cognac impregnation, and the confiture is left only for the underglaze layer.

How to soak a cake correctly

Don't forget about such an important step as soaking the cakes. Without it, the sponge cake loses its special charm and complex, refined aroma.

The main thing is to follow the tips above and be sure to experiment with flavors.

To the question: “ What do you like about baba?"Ten out of ten lovers of this pastry will definitely answer: " It is juicy and therefore very tasty" Let's not go deep into historical facts the appearance of this pastry, and let’s focus on the aromatic impregnation of the dough and the secrets of its serving.

How and what to soak

In order to saturate the finished pastry, prepared, as an option, from brioche dough, you must first dry it. It is optimal to soak for 6-7 hours (or better yet, 12 hours or more), and then soak. Otherwise, the baking will become soggy from the syrup, become flabby and may fall apart. Before doing this, the syrup must be brought to room temperature.

The classic ratio for sugar syrup is 4 tbsp. sugar for 6 tbsp. water. For flavoring, you can use fresh and canned juices, essences, fruit syrups, cognacs, liqueurs, liqueurs and, of course, rum. At the same time You cannot flavor hot syrup that has not cooled down - the aromatic substances from it will quickly evaporate.

Women are good for impregnation apricot, orange, grape, lemon, apple syrups. If you use citrus juices or extracts, then you can safely add fragrant zest to the impregnation. It won't make the woman any worse.

Can also be used vanilla syrup. To the hot sugar syrup you need to add at least a quarter of a vanilla pod, and when the syrup has cooled, a little vanilla liqueur. For cooking coffee syrup you will need 200 ml in addition to the above. add about 2 tbsp of base impregnation. strong double espresso coffee.

There are more unusual options. Flavor the syrup with seeds cardamom, bay leaf, grated orange and lemon zest and rum. After the syrup has infused, be sure to strain it. Or dissolve cocoa powder in syrup and add a little brandy. Prepare a flavored syrup with cinnamon, orange and lemon zest, cloves, vanilla and mint. The simplest innovation - use it in impregnation instead of rum Kirsch.

How to submit

It is interesting that serving such a conservative dish can be given new forms. Usually, after soaking the baba, all that remains is to glaze and decorate the top with berries or chopped fruit.

Classic rum baba serving

Rum baba cut in half

If you change the recipe a little, then instead of portioned rum baba, you can bake savarin. To bake it, you will not need molds, but one large ring-shaped mold. Then comes impregnation and glazing. You can use heated fruit marmalade or jam for it. In the middle of the butter ring they lay out fresh fruit, berries, and to give a special French chic- Chantilly cream made from whipped cream.

Savarin

By the way, a long time ago, original pancakes were prepared from pieces of rum baba, soaked in Madeira and dipped in deep-frying dough. They are said to have been popular among the bachelors of France, especially for breakfast.

If you believe that a woman is “ cake of Polish origin" And " France was introduced to him by King Stanislav Leszczynski, father-in-law of Louis 15", then initially such a pastry was served accompanied by a gravy boat filled with a mixture of sweet wine from Malaga and distilled water. There are also references to the fact that a real woman was made from rye flour and Hungarian wine. Most likely we are talking about Tokaj wine. One way or another, the baba was always drunk.

The Italians will argue with the version of Polish and French origin. After all, in Naples they consider such baked goods to be homemade and prepare them to be truly boozy, aromatic and delicious.

Let me start with the fact that the biscuit itself is tasty and tender, and therefore you don’t want to spoil it or “weight it down.” This should be our main task.

And a couple more “discoveries” that I came to myself or found in prescription reference books.

Do not rush to coat the cakes with cream while they are hot! This will not make them particularly tasty: the top layer will be soaked, but the middle and bottom of the cake will remain dry.

Therefore, our actions:

• The first thing you need to do to make the cake soft and retain moisture in it is to let the sponge cake cool a little after baking. After which it is wrapped in film and placed in the cold for at least 8 hours.

• Secondly, 20-30 minutes should pass between impregnation and lubrication of the cake with cream.
• Third! Sponge cake does not apply in any way to desserts “a la guests on the doorstep”. After soaking the cakes, at least 6 hours must pass before serving.

I mentioned all the main subtleties. Now you can move on to the dessert impregnations themselves. I'll start with simple recipes.

Impregnation for biscuit made from sugar and water

Advantage: always in stock. This impregnation is universal. It is basic and on its basis more complex and interesting tastes. You can add juices, spices, and aromatic substances such as zest (except for spices, everything is added only to chilled syrup).

Recipe: ideally, water and sugar are taken in a ratio of 6 to 4. For 6 tbsp. water you need 4 tbsp. Sahara.

1. Heat the water;
2. Add sugar to it. Stir gently until the sugar dissolves;
3. The syrup will boil and immediately remove the bowl with it from the heat so that the syrup does not thicken and caramelize. Cool.

This biscuit impregnation does not contain alcohol, it is the most common and simple. When it has cooled to room temperature, you can add vanilla extract to add a sweet aroma. But the main thing is that it goes wonderfully with any cream and cakes: coffee, chocolate, citrus and fruit.

I have used this soak in many other recipes.

Advantage: another basic universal impregnation. But it’s better not to let children near cakes dipped in it. But for an adult company, added to syrup good cognac, – has a number of advantages. Of course, this is not 2 in 1, drink and snack. No. Then why is there alcohol in the cake? The aroma and taste of cognac is very rich; it will decorate the biscuit and give it a piquant sophistication.
One more important detail. What is included alcoholic drink more noticeable if a low-quality product is used. Therefore, it is advisable to choose not a confectionery cognac, but an expensive, proven one. Then the taste will be softer and more voluminous.

• Water - 0.5 cups
• Cognac - 60 g.
• Sugar - 0.5 tbsp.

How to cook:

Add sugar to boiling water and stir. Boil the syrup for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Add cognac when the syrup is at room temperature. Stir and you can grease the cakes.
Most often, such impregnation includes additives: juices, coffee, etc.

Here are some recipe options:

- with coffee

• Water – 1.5 tbsp;
• Cognac – 2 tbsp;
• Coffee – 2 tbsp;
• Sugar – 1 tbsp.

I used this impregnation for.

How to cook:

Boil 1 tbsp. water with sugar. Boil with 0.5 tbsp. coffee water, steep, then strain. When the drink and syrup are at room temperature, mix and add cognac.

- With cherry juice

• Water – 0.5 tbsp;
• Cherry juice – 0.5 tbsp.;
• Sugar – 1 tbsp;
• Cognac – 3 tbsp.

Boil water, stir with sugar, keep on fire for 3-5 minutes. To keep the juice bright and retain its taste, add only to cooled syrup. Mix well, add cognac and you can grease. This impregnation option is perfect not only for, but also for.

- With lemon juice

• Water – 0.5 tbsp;
• Sugar – 0.5 tbsp;
• Cognac – 3 tbsp;
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• Vanilla extract - 0.5 tsp.

Prepare the syrup by boiling sugar and water for 3 minutes. Cool and add cognac, vanilla and lemon juice.

Impregnation for milk biscuit

Advantage: suitable for light-colored cakes. Very gentle impregnation. And this recipe is the basis; you can come up with it yourself or take already prepared impregnation options.

Recipe: I will give 2 options.

With milk

• Milk – 3 tbsp;
• Sugar – 1 tbsp.

Stir and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. You can grease the cakes with the cooled impregnation.

With condensed milk (I will give the proportions for a large cake):

• Condensed milk with sugar – 1 jar;
• Water – 3 tbsp

How to prepare this impregnation:

Pour boiling water over condensed milk. Stir well and let cool.
Both options can be supplemented with vanilla, cinnamon, melted chocolate or brewed coffee.

Impregnation for jam sponge cake

Advantage: you can use any jam: cherry and strawberry, apricot and apple. Both store-bought and homemade will do.
Recipe:

• Water – 1 tbsp.;
• Jam – 0.5 tbsp;
• Sugar – 2 tbsp.

Mix everything and boil. Cool and pass through a sieve.

Advantage: wine makes the cakes juicy and flavorful.

• Wine – 1 tbsp.;
• Sugar – 1 tbsp;
• Spices - (any to your taste, for example, cinnamon or coriander).

The wine is heating up. Sugar is added. And boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Spices are added and removed from the stove to cool.
You can adjust the thickness of this impregnation. The longer the wine syrup is on the fire, the thicker it is, but the alcohol content in it is less.
This sponge cake impregnation, the recipe for which I gave, is suitable for both red and white wines.

How to calculate the amount of impregnation per cake?

How to determine whether this impregnation is enough for one layer and for the whole cake?

Exists simple formula: for 1 part of biscuit you need 0.7 parts of impregnation and 1.2 parts of cream.

That is, if the cake is 1 kg, then the impregnation is 700 g, the cream is 1 kg 200 g. But we don’t bake such a big cake very often. The best option is a sponge cake for 6 eggs. It weighs approximately 400-500 grams. This means that to soak it, you need 280-350 grams of syrup and 480-600 grams of cream. These numbers are approximate, because everyone chooses according to their own taste. Some people like their cakes drier, others like them wetter, so that they drip.

How to distribute impregnation?

This is best done with a spray bottle (yes, you can use one specifically for these purposes). Then the layer of impregnation will lie evenly, unlike pouring with a spoon. A brush will work too. In a word, there is a choice.
A few words after that. Impregnation is an important part of the dessert; without it, the colors seem to fade. Yes, and the cakes turn out dry if the cream is too thick or between the soufflé cakes, or soft cheese as a layer. Of course, it’s still delicious, no doubt. But not bright. Therefore, I suggest you approach the choice of impregnation creatively. What do I take into account? Will there be berries in the cream or in the cake decoration? And also, what kind of cream, both in thickness and composition. If berries (fruits) are supposed to be in the decoration and/or cream, then you can and should add berry syrup, fruit juice, and, if desired, a little alcoholic drinks. Checked! This synchronicity is very impressive! For example, in the cake " drunk cherry“This rule works well.

A small nuance. You know, some things just need to be tested by your own experience. How many times have I heard that it is better to soak light-colored cakes? light syrups or milk. For dark colors you can use almost all impregnations. But when I saw how unattractive it looked classic sponge cake With coffee impregnation, I realized that you need to take into account the color of the cakes too.

An ordinary sponge cake will be complemented by impregnation with the addition of honey, alcohol, coffee, vanilla... The list is huge. And it’s better not to stop your imagination, let it prompt you. For example, the aroma and soft taste of lavender, zest, green tea, nut essence, milk, canned pineapples syrup, etc. And I repeat again, as for me, it is better when the cream, the biscuit itself and the impregnation complement each other, and do not play in discord. Just take into account the consequences, for example, it won’t be too lemony and sour-sour if the taste of this citrus dominates everywhere. Maybe it should be "smoothed out" heavy cream or oil?

I'm waiting for your responses =)