Jordan's Beet Cake

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. Cinnamon + vanillatop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

2. Vanilla + pineappletop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together911 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

3. Cinnamon + walnuttop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,147 recipes

   Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

4. Cottage cheese + pineappletop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together42 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

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

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

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

Eggs

Bind the batter and add structure and richness as they set in the oven.

Flour

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

Oil

Keeps the cake moist and tender after it cools.

Beets

Add moisture and natural sweetness, along with a deep color.

Baking soda

Reacts with the batter's acidity to produce gas that lifts the cake.

Sugar

Sweetens the cake and helps it brown and stay moist.

Swap the walnut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, cottage cheese, pineapple):

1. Almondfits better
2. Chestnutfits about as well
3. Walnutthe original
4. Macadamia nutfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, cottage cheese, pineapple. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.