Why it works: Apple and cinnamon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,598 recipes. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓
Apple Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Melt the butter and sugar together.
Add flour to create a soft dough.
Mix in the eggs and milk.
Stir in the baking powder.
Pour the dough into a pan.
Top and bake
Arrange the sliced apples on top of the dough, close together.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) until the apples are tender and the cake is cooked through.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,598 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving the cake a tender crumb and moist texture.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as the cake sets in the oven.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, helping the cake rise and become light.
- Apples
- Soften as they bake, adding moisture and fruity sweetness to the cake.
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the dough, setting as it bakes.
The step that matters
Bake until the apples are tender and the cake is cooked through. Apples and batter cook at different rates, so underbaking leaves the centre wet and raw, while overbaking dries the cake. Checking both apples and crumb ensures a set, tender result.
Swap the apple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, egg, milk, cinnamon):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Figfits better
- Applethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, flour, egg, milk, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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