Basic simple syrup with variations
The secret ingredient in many professional layer cakes and a kind of magic to the home baker is called simple syrup and it’s precisely that: a syrup made simply of equal parts water and sugar. Dissolve the sugar in boiling water, cool and flavor it with citrus, spices, liqueurs, herbs or extracts. Brushed on the baked and cooled cake layers, it provides moisture to a cake that may or may not have it otherwise, as well as a surprise layer of additional flavor to a normally one- or two-dimensionally flavored cake.
Make an orange simple syrup to flavor a chocolate cake or a coffee syrup to flavor a vanilla cake. Or, for your white cake, make a vanilla syrup spiked with cassis or a caramel syrup infused with cinnamon and Tellicherry black peppercorns.
The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for weeks.
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Combine a cup of sugar with a cup of water in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
Remove it from the heat and cool.
Orange: Add the peel from half an orange to the mixture before bringing it to a boil; after it cools, add 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier.
Coffee: Replace the water with strong brewed coffee.
Herbs: Add a tablespoon of chopped herbs (or a few sprigs) such as rosemary or lavender.
Liqueurs or juices: Add 2 tablespoons of flavored liqueur or 1 teaspoon of an extract, or replace part of the water with fruit juice.
Caramel: Put the sugar in a medium, heavy-bottomed pan with high sides and turn the heat on high. Melt the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it’s a deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Once golden, turn off the heat and add a cup of hot water. Watch out: It will boil up. Let the boiling subside and stir; return to low heat if any sugar solids remain. Cool.
Caramel-spice: Infuse the hot water for the caramel syrup with spices such as cinnamon or black peppercorns or even chiles. Remove or strain the spices.
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