Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is the dark, coffee-scented soaking syrup I use for tiramisu and other layered coffee desserts. Brown sugar gives it a molasses depth, instant coffee makes it properly mocha, a little melted compound chocolate rounds it out and thickens it slightly, and rum is stirred in at the end so none of its aroma is boiled away.
It tastes strong and bittersweet on its own, which is exactly what you want in a soaking syrup: once it is brushed or spooned onto sponge fingers, sponge layers or cake discs, the flavour settles back and simply makes the dessert taste richer. Use it wherever a coffee cake, chocolate sponge or tiramisu needs moisture and a grown-up mocha note.
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: 465
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: batch of about 465 g of soaking syrup, enough for around 20 individual tiramisu or two 25 cm layered cakes
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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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200 |
7 ounces
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Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is a sucrose sugar product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content (natural brown sugar), or it is produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar (commercial brown sugar).
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B
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200 |
0.8 cup
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Water
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C
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20 |
0.7 ounce
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Instant Coffee
Instant coffee, also called soluble coffee, coffee crystals and coffee powder, is a beverage derived from brewed coffee beans. Instant coffee is commercially prepared by either freeze-drying or spray drying, after which it can be rehydrated. Instant coffee in a concentrated liquid form is also manufactured.
granules or powder
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D
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20 |
0.7 fluid ounce
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Rum
dark
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E
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25 |
0.9 ounce
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Dark Chocolate (Compound)
Compound chocolate is a product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat, and sweeteners. It is used as a lower-cost alternative to true chocolate, as it uses less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter. It may also be known as 'compound coating' or 'chocolatey coating' when used as a coating for candy.
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chopped small |
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465
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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 |
Weigh everything first and have a clean jar or bottle with a lid ready for storing the finished syrup. |
All ingredients measured before you start heating |
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2 |
Boil |
Put A and B (brown sugar and water) in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring now and then. |
Sugar fully dissolved and the syrup clear |
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3 |
Dissolve |
Take the pan off the heat and stir in C (instant coffee). |
No granules left, syrup dark and glossy |
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4 |
Melt |
Add E (dark compound chocolate) to the hot syrup and stir until it has melted right through. |
Smooth, with no specks of unmelted chocolate |
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5 |
Cool |
Leave the syrup to cool to room temperature. |
No longer steaming, comfortable to touch |
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6 |
Finish |
Stir in D (rum) once the syrup is cold, so the aroma is not lost to the heat. |
Evenly mixed |
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7 |
Store |
Pour into a clean jar or squeeze bottle, seal and keep in the refrigerator. Shake or stir before use, as the chocolate can settle. |
Pourable and well combined before each use |
Important Notes
This half batch makes about 465 g of syrup. In the bakery a full batch of 930 g soaks around 40 individual tiramisu, so this amount is enough for roughly 20 individual desserts, or for brushing two 25 cm layered cakes.
Brush or spoon the syrup onto cooled sponge, sponge fingers or cake discs; do not pour it on all at once, as the sponge needs a moment to drink it in. Keep the syrup in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and stir before use, as the melted chocolate settles as it stands. If you would rather leave out the alcohol, replace the rum with strong cold coffee, but the keeping time will be shorter.
Tools & Arrangements
Kitchen scales, a small saucepan, a heatproof spatula or whisk, a jar or squeeze bottle with a lid, and a pastry brush or spoon for soaking.
