Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is the classic bakery apricot glaze, cooked a little further with sugar and pectin so it sets to a soft, toffee-like shine instead of running off the cake. It is glossy, amber-gold and just tacky enough to hold a crumb coat together or to make fruit look freshly picked.
Brush it warm over sponge layers before icing and it seals the crumb and keeps the cake moist, or paint it over fruit flans, danishes and baton pastries for a professional finish. It is quick to make, keeps well in the fridge and only needs a gentle warming to be ready again.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 610
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: batch of glaze, enough to coat 3 or 4 x 20 cm cakes or several fruit flans
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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500 |
1.1 pounds
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Apricot Jam
Apricot jam is a preserve made from apricots and sugar. Bakers use it as a glaze because it is mild in flavour, sets lightly and gives a clear golden shine; a smooth or sieved jam gives the cleanest finish.
smooth or sieved
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B
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
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C
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10 |
0.4 ounce
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Pectin
Pectin is a natural setting agent taken from fruit, sold as a fine powder. It makes jams and glazes thicken and hold their shape when boiled with sugar and acid. Always mix it with the sugar before adding it to anything hot, or it will go lumpy.
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mixed with the sugar |
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610
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Mix C (pectin) thoroughly through B (caster sugar) in a small bowl so the powder is evenly spread through the sugar. |
No lumps of pectin left sitting together |
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2 |
Warm |
Put A (apricot jam) into a saucepan and warm it over medium heat, stirring, until it loosens and begins to steam. |
Jam thin enough to stir easily |
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3 |
Add |
Rain the sugar and pectin mixture into the warm jam while stirring constantly with a whisk. |
Fully dissolved, smooth, no gritty lumps |
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4 |
Boil |
Bring the glaze to a full rolling boil and let it boil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring so it does not catch on the bottom. |
Thick, glossy and coating the back of a spoon |
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5 |
Strain |
Pass the hot glaze through a fine sieve to catch any fruit pieces or undissolved pectin. |
Smooth and clear |
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6 |
Use |
Brush the glaze over sponge, fruit or pastry while it is still hot, using a soft pastry brush and light strokes. |
Even shine, no drips or brush marks |
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7 |
Store |
Pour any leftover glaze into a clean jar, cool, cover and keep in the fridge. Warm it gently in a saucepan or the microwave before the next use. |
Pourable and glossy again when reheated |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 610 g of glaze. It sets firm in the fridge and softens again with gentle heat, so only warm as much as you need at a time. Always apply it hot: once it cools it drags and leaves brush marks. If it becomes too thick on reheating, stir in a spoonful of hot water. Kept covered in the fridge it will last several weeks. Brush it on sponge layers before icing to seal in moisture and stop crumbs lifting into your buttercream.
Tools & Arrangements
Small heavy-based saucepan, whisk, fine sieve, heatproof bowl, soft pastry brush, digital scales, clean jar with a lid for storage.
