Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a light lemon and vanilla syrup for soaking sponge. It is nothing more than a sugar syrup sharpened with fresh lemon juice and a little citric acid, then rounded off with vanilla, so it tastes bright and clean rather than simply sweet. The citric acid does two jobs: it keeps the flavour lively and it stops the syrup crystallising in the fridge.
Brush or dip it over sponge shells, sponge fingers, layered sponge discs or slab sponge before filling. A lemon syrup lifts creamy fillings such as white chocolate mousse, cheese creams and custard, and it is especially good under anything citrus. The syrup is thin on purpose, so it soaks in quickly without making the sponge heavy.
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: 1510
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: batch of soaking syrup, about 1.5 litres
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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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1000 |
4.2 cups
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Water
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B
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400 |
14.1 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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100 |
3.4 fluid_ounces
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Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice is the juice squeezed from whole lemons and strained of seeds and pulp. It gives a natural sharpness and aroma that bottled juice cannot match, and roughly three medium lemons will yield the amount needed here.
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strained |
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D
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5 |
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Citric Acid
Citric acid is the natural acid found in lemons and other citrus fruit, sold as fine white crystals or powder. A small pinch sharpens the flavour of sugar syrups and helps stop them crystallising during storage.
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E
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5 |
1 teaspoon
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Vanilla Essence
Vanilla Extract is made with 100% pure vanilla beans. With a sweet, syrupy consistency, this Vanilla is ideal for use in icings, drinks and whipped cream as well as classic baking recipes. Vanilla Essence is commercially manufactured by chemicals and is more of a watery consistency as opposed to vanilla extract which is thicker and a lot fuller and richer in flavour. You can replace one with the other but use 50% more of essence. For example, for 1 teaspoon of extract, use 1.5 teaspoons of essence.
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1510
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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 |
Combine |
Put A, B and D (water, caster sugar and citric acid) into a saucepan and stir. |
Sugar wetted through, no dry pockets |
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2 |
Boil |
Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring now and then, and let it boil for about a minute. |
Syrup completely clear, all sugar dissolved |
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3 |
Cool |
Take the pan off the heat and leave the syrup to cool to room temperature. |
No longer steaming; lukewarm at most |
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4 |
Flavour |
Stir in C and E (fresh lemon juice and vanilla essence). |
Added off the heat so the fresh lemon aroma is not cooked away |
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5 |
Store |
Pour into a clean bottle or jar, seal and keep in the refrigerator. |
Use within about two weeks; shake before use |
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Use |
Brush the cold syrup generously over sponge layers, or dip sponge shells and fingers in it briefly, before filling. |
Sponge moist all the way through but not soggy or collapsing |
Important Notes
This batch makes about 1.5 litres of syrup. The chef's production notes allow roughly 1 kg of syrup for 35 sponge shells, so this batch is enough to soak around 50 small shells, or several large layered cakes. Always use the syrup cold, and always on cooled sponge. The citric acid is there for sharpness and to keep the syrup from crystallising in the fridge, so do not leave it out. The original sheet also lists a liquid lemon colour as an optional extra; a drop or two will give a pale yellow tint, but it adds nothing to the flavour and is easily left out at home.
Tools & Arrangements
Digital scales, medium saucepan, whisk or spoon, fine sieve for the lemon juice, heatproof jug, clean bottle or jar with a lid, pastry brush
