Why it works: Lemon and mint are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,998 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Souffléed Lemon Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour, stirring until just barely combined.
Stir in the milk and cream until smooth.
Add the whites and bake
In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft-to-medium peaks, adding the salt halfway through.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the custard mixture.
Pour the custard mixture into a 10-inch round cake pan and set into a larger pan filled with 1-inch water.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the custard is just set.
Cool and serve
Let cool to room temperature.
Serve on a plate or in a glass bowl, garnished with mint leaves or berries.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Peppermint | 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.
-
Lemon + minttop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,998 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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
- Eggs
- Whites trap air for lift, and yolks thicken the custard as it sets.
- Butter
- Creaming with sugar traps air and adds richness and tender texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the dish and helps create a fluffy, aerated batter when creamed.
- Flour
- Provides light structure so the custard holds its shape after baking.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softness, letting the custard set gently.
- Heavy cream
- Adds fat for a rich, smooth texture in the baked custard.
The step that matters
Folding the egg whites into the custard. Folding gently keeps the whites' trapped air intact; stirring or deflating them makes the soufflé dense and less risen.
Swap the mint
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, lemon, flour, milk, cream):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Mintthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, egg, lemon, flour, milk, cream. 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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