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Liquid sugar used in bakery sector - Creating cakes and bread products
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Wednesday, 12 May, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Chef Gauri Varma
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Most refer to liquid sugar as a simple syrup that is often used to keep cakes moist. Sugar however is a core ingredient in almost all bakery items - not only does it add sweetness but also tenderises the end result. Sugar is hygroscopic, which means that it likes to hold water which in turn keeps cakes moist as well and gives them a slightly longer shelf life.
21st century baking however also explores liquid sugar as a viable substitute. Today's baker is looking for ways to move beyond standard granulated sugar. It may not be so easy - if you think it's a 1:1 ratio switch; think again!
Honey, treacle, molasses (used largely in Christmas cakes) and maple syrup are currently commonly used in cake baking. They are also used in sweet breads and specialty cakes.Each of these have a unique role in baking.
Honey - it's the most commonly used sweetener and lends a floral though sweeter sweetness compared to granulated sugar. Being a combination of glucose and fructose it has the tendency to brown quickly. Since it is sweeter than sugar you can substitute 3/4th cup for every 1 cup of sugar.
Maple syrup is the new kid on the block. Although it's been around for years, due to its availability it hasn't been used readily. Since maple syrup is mostly sucrose based it doesn't brown or caramelise too quickly. As a flavour note it lends amazing caramel notes to your bakes and is best suited for use in cookies, candies, cakes and glazes. Maple syrup is almost as sweet as sugar, hence can be used in a 1:1 ratio to substitute.
Molasses is interchangeable with treacle. It has the most unique flavour of the 3, it's simple to make, has a strong robust taste and it is used widely in all kinds of traditional cakes, pies and puddings. It is a staple ingredient in most plum cakes which also lends to their taste and colour. Treacle gets a little tricky since the addition of it is not only a substitute for sugar but the flour also needs to be increased. For every 1/4 cup of molasses/treacle 1 table spoon of flour can be added to the recipe.
Other commercially available forms of liquid Sweetener include - glucose - this is hands down the most popular for making cake glazes - which was the traditional way of using this ingredient. Of late its been used in a whole host of products which are used for cake decorating such as cake glazes, sugar candy, pulled sugar decorations, edible cake drips etc., to name a few. Its being widely used in cake icings like royal icing, eggless butter cream.
The application of glucose is by far the widest and is applicable to almost all types of bakes goods or garnishes such as - pie fillings, marshmallows, fondant, honey comb, Turkish delight, ganache, fudge ice cream and granola bars to name a few. It is form of simple syrup and readily available in the bakery section of most supermarkets. In cakes glucose not only adds to the sweetness of cakes but also to the texture and moisture content.
(The author is founder and CEO of G's Patisserie and Confect)
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