Simple Syrup for Cake or Cocktails (& Variations)

Whether you need simple syrup for cake, cocktails, coffee, or lemonade and beyond, it's one of those foundational recipes that everyone should know. Here's how to make the basic recipe and some popular variations.

Why we love this recipe

Like butter, I almost think of simple syrup more as a tool than as an ingredient. It's the go-to choice for sweetening cold beverages like cocktails, iced coffee, and lemonade, since regular and even superfine sugar don't do a great job of dissolving in cold liquid.

It's also a fabulous way to infuse cakes with long-lasting moisture. Truth be told, the cake recipes on Umami Girl don't tend to need it, since I really only feature baked goods with a beautiful, tender crumb. But the classic British sponges and cakes derived from those recipes can really benefit from brushing with basic or flavored syrup.

Or make homemade maraschino cherries, sweeten homemade frozen yogurt, and more.

I first published this recipe here way back in 2009. I've since updated the post for clarity and added lots of variations to the recipe, but the basic formula remains the same.

What you'll need

Here's a glance at the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe.

• For basic syrup, you can use use good old granulated sugar. This is what I do virtually always. See below for additional suggestions. Note that not all sugar is vegan-friendly, so if you'll be serving vegans, you may want to check the label.
• The only other ingredient you need is water. Tap water is fine as long as it tastes good. (And a great tip if it doesn't is to let it sit overnight so that some of the impurities have a chance to settle to the bottom, then gently pour off and use all but the last inch or so.)

A note on measurement

Basic simple syrup is called 1:1 and is made with "equal parts" water and sugar. Technically this means equal parts by weight, so for example you would weigh out 125 grams of water and 125 grams of sugar on your kitchen scale. Since most Americans don't cook with scales, it's totally fine to use volumetric measurement in this recipe. 1 U.S. cup sugar weighs a little less than 1 cup water, but — especially after a little bit of evaporation during simmering — it hardly matters.

How to make it

Here's an overview of what you'll do to make a perfect batch of simple syrup for cake, cocktails, and more. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.

1. Pour the sugar into a small pot.
2. Add the water.
3. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until fully dissolved.
4. Let cool completely before using or storing in a glass container.

Suggested variations

Rich simple syrup

For a more concentrated sweetener with a more viscous consistency, use two parts sugar to one part water.

Demerara simple syrup

Demerara sugar is a minimally processed sugar that retains a light amber color and a more nuanced flavor with hints of molasses. You can use it instead of regular granulated sugar for a more richly flavored syrup. Turbinado sugar is similar (but a bit more finely textured, lightly flavored, and less sticky). You can also use that if you like.

Steeping dry ingredients

It can be really nice to steep tea, dry spices, and other dry ingredients in your simple syrup for cake or beverages. To the sugar and water, you can add a couple of tablespoons of looseleaf tea (like Earl Grey), a couple of broken cinnamon sticks, half a vanilla bean pot split open with a knife, a few cloves or star anise pods, dried hibiscus flowers or lavender — you name it.

Let the ingredients steep for 24 hours, then strain before using the syrup. These additions do not shorten the shelf life of the syrup.

Steeping fresh ingredients

You can also use fresh ingredients to flavor your syrup. Try a big handful of torn basil or mint leaves, a sliced jalapeño, the peel of an organic lemon, lime, orange, or grapefruit removed from the fruit with a vegetable peeler, or a cup of fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or cranberries.

Let the ingredients steep for 24 hours, then strain without pressing down on the solids. Syrup made with these fresh additions should be used within a week or so.

Incorporating extracts

For the easiest flavoring of all, you can stir in a little bit of your favorite good-quality extract. For milder flavors like vanilla and orange, start with about a teaspoon of extract per cup of syrup and adjust to taste. For stronger extracts like almond, start with ¼ teaspoon and work from there. Extracts do not shorten the shelf life of the syrup.

Storing simple syrup

Once cooled, pour the syrup into a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and place it into the refrigerator. Plain syrup or any variation infused with long-lasting or dry ingredients (such as cinnamon or vanilla) will keep for a month. If you've steeped a fresh ingredient like mint or basil leaves, use the syrup within one to two weeks.

Expert tips and FAQs

How to use it

This recipe is ready to use to sweeten drinks, to give cakes an extra dose of moisture, or to create other sweet treats. Try it in:

• Cocktails like the French 75, Gin Gimlet, Margarita on the Rocks, or Classic Daiquiri
• Virgin drinks like Cold Brew Coffee, Agua Fresca, or Lemonade
• Cakes like Norwegian Gold, Parsnip Cake, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, or better yet a British-style sponge cake — simply brush it onto cooled cake when assembling
• Homemade maraschino cherries or frozen yogurt