How to Make Simple Syrup
Making simple syrup doesn’t have to be an ordeal. In fact, making your own basic syrup doesn’t take much time at all. Once you get the method down, you’ll be on your way to preparing any cocktail you want or moistening all cakes before frosting.
As a flight attendant, for over 10 years, I’ve made way too many cocktails. But, back then, our simple syrups, also known as a cocktail sweetener, came out of a bottle that was provided to us on every cocktail cart. And, they came in a few different flavors too.
Now, I always have sweet syrup in the fridge because it’s easy to use in many recipes instead of sugar, such as a quick lemonade, cocktails, coffee, etc.
What is simple sugar syrup?
Technically, it’s equal parts sugar and water, boiled together until all the sugar has dissolved. Cool it, and it’s ready to use in anything from douching over cake layers and drinks/cocktails, and sometimes when requested in a recipe.
What are flavored sugar syrups?
You can flavor it with flavor ingredients such as vanilla, lemon, orange, or rosemary. Adding flavor simply means letting the sugar water infuse a little longer. For example;
- Rosemary Gin Fizz is basically 1/4 cup gin, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon rosemary syrup, topped with 1/3 cup club soda. Garnished with a lemon wedge and rosemary sprig.
- My favorite to have on hand usually would be rosemary (rosemary is a very refreshing flavor in a drink), orange (my favorite), and lemon (another favorite).
- And then, of course, we had those wonderful flavors that you make when winter sets in. Like a little cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and cardamom.
- One of my absolute favorite winter drinks used to be Cinnamon Cranberry Gingersnap – with homemade brown sugar cinnamon syrup, Cointreau, cranberry juice, lemon juice, ginger slices, and a cinnamon stick.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Sugar – white sugar is most commonly used, and when I make a big bottle of sugar syrup, that is what I use. But, brown sugar or demerara sugar adds a nice caramel-like flavor too!
- Water – Simple water makes a great start, but you can add other liquids too! For example, orange juice syrup is perfect to moisten orange cake as well as for orange-flavored drinks such as a screwdriver!
- Lemon – the main purpose of this one tablespoon is to prevent sugar crystallization. I like to use a tablespoon of light corn syrup, which is an invert sugar, but not everybody has that at home.
- Flavorings – this is where it gets interesting.
- You can add a simple single vanilla bean and a cinnamon stick or a variety of spices.
- Use a few basil leaves, mint leaves, or a whole sprig of rosemary and thyme.
- Add a citrus peel or slice of lime and orange, or a variety of citrus fruits.
- One of my favorites is the ginger root, which I use when I make flavored alcoholic tea-based drinks.
Step-by-step: Homemade simple syrup
- Dissolve – In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice. Add your choice of flavoring at this time, too. Cook, stirring often until all the sugar has dissolved.
Pro tip – You can use spices, herbs, and citrus for flavoring. Make sure to wash the herbs before using them - Boil – Bring the syrup to a boil and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro tip – You can remove the items for flavoring at any time, depending on how much or how little you want the syrup flavored. - Cool – Remove from heat. Strain into a glass jar or bottle and let cool completely. Use in any recipe that calls for simple syrup.
How to flavor sugar syrup?
Add flavoring to the sugar and water mixture before you place it on the heat. For a light flavor, remove it from the heat; for a deeper flavor, remove it once cooled. For an intense flavor, leave it for a day or more. Remember, not all flavors do well with intensity.
- Rosemary – Add a sprig of rosemary. (you can also add more than one)
- Orange – Use a peel from one orange. Do not use the white part of the peel, as it will make the syrup bitter.
- Lemon – Use a peel from one lemon. Do not use the white part of the peel, as it will make it bitter. You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Cinnamon – Add a cinnamon stick.
- Ginger – Add 3 slices of ginger.
- Orange ginger – Ginger also pairs well with orange to make an orange-ginger-flavored syrup.
- Cardamom or cloves – You can use three cardamoms, three cloves, or a combination of the two. I use it when I make my chai spice cake.
- Rose – You can use edible rose petals, but I usually add a rose extract to my simple syrup when it’s done.
- Lavender – A few sprigs of edible lavender make a heavenly lavender sugar syrup.
Frequently asked questions
The purpose of sugar syrup in a cocktail is to add sweetness, while the purpose of sugar syrup in cakes is to add moisture. So, while you can use the same syrup for both, a syrup with less sugar and more water works best for cake!
Simple syrup can be kept at room temperature for 2 to 3 days or can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ideally, we still have the same two main ingredients, sugar and water. But when it comes to cakes, I use a different ratio. I use 1 part sugar to 3 parts of water. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes. This way, you moisten the cake layers and yet do not make the cake overly sweet.
Cake decorating takes time, which means we need more working time. You can’t make a cake and decorate it immediately. There is a process involved.
– You need to cool it completely, level it, and crumb coat the cake.
– first frosting, sometimes ganache, cover it with fondant, and then decorate it.
– The lapse of time from when you baked the cake to the time the cake is decorated can be as little as 3 days, and in some cases, more.
– Often, the cake ends up going in and out of the refrigerator, which tends to dry the cake even more. So, to ensure the cake is moist when cut, we use light sugar syrup to moisten the cake.
Of course, you can also use honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup.
When I have no time to make syrup and let it cool down. I make this quick syrup. Take 1/4 cup of light corn syrup with 1/4 cup of warm water. Combine well and use it in place of classic syrup.
How to Make Simple Syrup
Basic sugar syrup is just two ingredients but can make a huge difference when used as an ingredient in another recipe like drinks, cocktails, and cakes. Today, I will show you how I make my simple syrup, enrich it, flavor it and use it. Same recipe with different ratios for different uses and different outcomes. Here is everything you need to know.
Ingredients
- 1 cups (200 g) White granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250 ml) Water
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice prevents crystallization when cooled
- Flavoring (see notes)
- 1 cup (200 g) White granulated sugar
- 3 cups (750 g) Water
- Flavoring (see notes)
Method
- Dissolve – In a saucepan over medium heat combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice. Add your choice of flavoring at this time too. Cook stirring often until all the sugar has dissolved. Pro tip – you can use spices, herbs, and citrus for flavoring. Make sure to wash the herbs before using them1 cups White granulated sugar, 1 cup Water, 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Boil – Bring the syrup to a boil and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Pro tip – you can remove the items for flavoring at any time depending on how much or how less you want the syrup flavored.
- Cool – Remove from heat. Strain into a glass jar or bottle and let cool completely. Use in any recipe that calls for simple syrup.
Notes
Flavoring for sugar syrup
Add flavoring to the sugar and water mixture before you place it on heat. For a light flavor, remove it when you take it off the heat, for a deeper flavor remove it when cooled. For an intense flavor, leave it for a day or more. Remember, not all flavors do well with intensity.- Rosemary – add a sprig of rosemary. (you can also add more than one)
- Orange – use a peel from one orange. Do not use the white part of the peel as it will make the simple syrup bitter.
- Lemon – use a peel from one lemon. Do not use the white part of the peel as it will make it bitter. You can also add a tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Cinnamon – add a cinnamon stick.
- Ginger – add 3 slices of ginger.
- Orange ginger – ginger also combines well with orange to make a ginger orange simple syrup flavor.
- Cardamom or cloves – you can use three cardamoms or three cloves or a combination of the two. I use it when I make my chai spice cake.
- Rose – you can use edible rose petals, but I usually add a rose extract to my simple syrup when it’s done.
- Lavender – a few sprigs of edible lavender makes a heavenly lavender simple syrup.
Hi Verena,
Just wondering if the sugar syrup can be stored? If so what’s the best way to store it and for how long?
Thanks so much!
Bella
Hey Bella. I store mine in the fridge for up 10 days.
Week 2 Day 3
Hello,
I am a novice baker and have experienced dry cakes; I have not tried using simple syrup. When and how is the simple syrup applied and generally how much should be used to avoid dry cakes?
Hey Carol, Simple syrup is a great way to prevent cakes from getting dry or adding more moisture. I add about 3 to 4 tablespoons for each layer of cake. But you can add more too.
Week 2 Day 3
Week 2 day 3 done
Hi,
I am making the cardamom cake with mocha buttercream icing and noticed several discrepancies. One is it says 6 oz (3 sticks), however, 6 oz. is actually 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Also, the ingredients list yogurt but the directions do not say when or even to add the yogurt. Instead it say alternate the buttermilk and dry ingredients, but the ingredient list does not include buttermilk and it doesn’t say how much butter milk. So could you please clarify? The recipe sounds delicious.
Sharon
Hey Sharon. Sorry about that. I just edited the recipe. It should read 6 oz butter and yogurt (not buttermilk) just as in the ingredients list. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
day 7 Done