Why it works: Ginger and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,380 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Ginger Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
To prepare this Ginger Bread Recipe 1, first mix cold water, molasses and well beaten egg.
Add flour, salt, ginger and cinnamon, then mix well and add the baking soda, dissolved in the hot water.
Then add the melted butter and beat thoroughly.
Bake
Pour into a buttered pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes in a moderate oven.
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 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + flourtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Molasses + cinnamontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,928 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Molasses
- Provides the dark color, rich flavor and moisture that define gingerbread.
- Egg
- Adds structure and helps bind the batter together.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses's acidity to produce gas that lifts the batter.
- Flour
- Forms the structure that holds the baked gingerbread together.
- Butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and richness in the crumb.
The step that matters
Dissolving the baking soda in hot water. Baking soda must be fully dissolved and mixed in evenly so it reacts with the molasses's acidity and lifts the batter evenly; clumps can leave bitter or uneven spots.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, cinnamon, butter, flour, egg):
- Nutmegfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Clovefits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, cinnamon, butter, flour, egg. 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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