Bethlehem Mud

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.

1. Cocoa + vanillatop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together357 recipes

   Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

2. Corn + peanuttop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together346 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

3. Syrup + sugartop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,842 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

4. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together35,032 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

5. Corn + vanillatop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,943 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).

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

What each ingredient does

Flour

Provides the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.

Eggs

Bind the batter and add moisture and structure to the crumb.

Baking powder

Releases gas during baking so the cake rises and becomes light.

Cocoa

Gives the cake its chocolate flavor and dark color.

Corn syrup

Adds moisture and sweetness and helps keep the cake tender.

Sugar

Sweetens the cake and helps it brown and stay moist.

The step that matters

Swap the cocoa

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, corn, syrup, sugar, egg, vanilla, peanut):

1. Almondfits better
2. Chestnutfits better
3. Hazelnutfits better
4. Cocoathe original

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