Why it works: Cream and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Quesadilla Salvadorena
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Grease a spring pan or baking dish with butter.
Make the batter
Mix butter and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time.
Sift flour and baking powder.
Add to sugar mixture little by little.
Add sour cream and parmesan cheese, mixing well.
Bake and serve
Add mixture evenly to the pan.
Decorate with sesame seeds.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
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.
-
Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Parmesan cheese + buttertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Flour + sesametop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,057 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter 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
- Bind the batter and add structure as the cake sets in the oven.
- Flour
- Forms the main structure of the cake as its starches set during baking.
- Sugar
- Creams with the butter and adds sweetness and gentle browning.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, creamed with sugar to trap air for a tender crumb.
- Sour cream
- Adds moisture and mild acidity for a tender, moist texture.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the cake rises and becomes light.
The step that matters
Add the flour and baking powder little by little. Adding flour gradually to the creamed butter and sugar keeps the batter smooth and well combined. Overmixing once flour is in can develop gluten and make the cake tough and dense.
Swap the sesame
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, sugar, cream, parmesan cheese, egg, butter):
- Almondfits better
- Pistachiofits better
- Chestnutfits better
- Sesamethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, sugar, cream, parmesan cheese, egg, butter. 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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