Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Dutch Cheesecake
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Beat together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar until well blended, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the cheese, cream, flour, lemon juice, lemon rind, and raisins.
Beat the egg whites until frothy, then gradually add the remaining confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until the whites form stiff peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
Bake and serve
Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 45 minutes.
Cool to room temperature, then chill before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Gouda | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Lemon + raisintop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,742 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks blend into the base and whites, whipped to stiff peaks, lighten and set the filling.
- Gouda cheese
- Provides the rich, savoury body and flavour of the filling.
- Light cream or half-and-half
- Adds moisture and softness to the cheese mixture.
- Unbleached flour
- Adds body so the filling holds its shape after baking.
- Lemon rind
- Adds bright aroma that cuts through the richness of the cheese.
The step that matters
Folding the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Whites are full of trapped air, and folding gently preserves that air so the filling stays light instead of deflating. Stirring vigorously knocks the air out and makes the cheesecake denser.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar, cheese, cream, flour, raisin):
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits better
- Applefits about as well
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar, cheese, cream, flour, raisin. 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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