Name: Orange Polenta Cake with Vanilla-Scented Plums and Blackberries and Buttermilk Ice Cream
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour; 3/4 cup medium-fine polenta or organic cornmeal (such as Bob's Red Mill); 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 2 teaspoons (packed) finely grated orange peel; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt

Why it works: Vanilla and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

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.

Vanilla + milktop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,187 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Orange + vanillatop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,371 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together81,283 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Vanilla + yogurttop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,191 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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

Swap the orange

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, milk, yogurt):

Figfits better
Peachfits better
Bananafits better
Orangethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, milk, yogurt. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Orange	1 medium (131g)	62
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Orange Polenta Cake with Vanilla-Scented Plums and Blackberries and Buttermilk Ice Cream