Why it works: Cinnamon and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Liberian Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs one at a time.
Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with mixture of milk and syrup, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Stir just until smooth.
Fold in fruit and coconut.
Bake
Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf tins, 9 by 5 by 2 and 1/2 inches. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in a very moderate oven (350 degrees F).
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 11 of 13 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Coconut | 1/2 cup shredded (40g) | 283 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Mace | not in our table | 0 |
| Syrup | 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.
-
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Mace + clovetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,400 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
-
Allspice + macetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,189 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
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.
- Plain flour
- Forms the main structure of the cake as its starches set during baking.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender crumb and rich flavour.
- Golden syrup
- Adds sweetness and moisture, helping the cake stay soft.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic syrup to produce gas that helps the cake rise and brown.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking to lift the batter and lighten the crumb.
The step that matters
Stir just until smooth. Once flour is mixed with liquid, gluten begins to develop; overmixing makes the cake tough and dense, so stop as soon as the batter is smooth.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, flour, cinnamon, allspice, clove):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Gingerfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, egg, flour, cinnamon, allspice, clove. 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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