Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is about as simple as a soaking syrup gets: the sweet, fragrant syrup left behind from making candied orange, let down with an equal weight of water. That one step takes the syrup from too thick and too sweet to brush on a sponge, to something light enough to soak straight in without making the crumb heavy or cloying.
The flavour is clean orange with a soft caramel edge from the cooked sugar. Use it on vanilla, almond or chocolate sponges before filling, especially where an orange cream, curd or ganache is going in on top. It is also a good way to use up the syrup from a batch of candied orange peel instead of throwing it away.
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: 500
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 500 g of soaking syrup, enough for two to three 20–25 cm sponge 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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250 |
8.8 ounces
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Candied Orange Syrup
Candied orange syrup is the thick, orange-scented sugar syrup left over from candying orange peel or cubes. It is heavily sweet and slightly caramelised, and is normally strained and kept for soaking sponges and flavouring creams.
strained
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room temperature |
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B
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250 |
1.1 cup
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Water
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cold or boiled and cooled |
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500
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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 |
Strain A (candied orange syrup) through a fine sieve into a clean jug or saucepan to remove any pieces of peel or crystallised sugar. |
Clear syrup, no solid pieces left |
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2 |
Mix |
Add B (water) to A (candied orange syrup) and stir until completely blended. |
Evenly mixed, no heavy syrup sitting at the bottom |
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3 |
Warm |
If the syrup is very thick or has crystallised in storage, warm the mixture gently over low heat, stirring, until it is smooth and runny. Do not boil. |
Smooth and pourable, no sugar crystals |
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4 |
Cool |
Cool the syrup to room temperature before using. |
Cool to the touch |
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5 |
Use |
Brush or sprinkle over sponge layers before filling, working from the centre outwards so the edges do not soak more than the middle. |
Sponge is moist and springy, not wet or collapsing |
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6 |
Store |
Pour any leftover syrup into a clean, sealed bottle or jar and keep it in the fridge. |
Keeps for up to 2 weeks refrigerated; discard if it smells fermented or looks cloudy |
Important Notes
This quantity makes about 500 g of soaking syrup, enough for two to three 20–25 cm round sponges cut into layers. The syrup is simply one part candied orange syrup to one part water by weight, so it is easy to scale up or down for whatever you have left over from candying orange. If your candied orange syrup is unusually thick, add a little more water; if it is thin, use slightly less. Keep the finished syrup in a sealed bottle in the fridge and use within about two weeks. Always let it cool to room temperature before brushing it onto sponge.
Tools & Arrangements
Kitchen scales, fine sieve, measuring jug or small saucepan, spoon or small whisk, pastry brush, clean bottle or jar with a lid for storage.
