Name: Pyramid Layered Cake
Ingredients: 12 eggs,; flour,; butter,; sugar (the quantity for each of these last 3 ingredients to be the same as the weight of the 12 eggs in their shells),; butter for the pan,; various fillings and preserves

Why it works: Flour and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

Pyramid Layered Cake

Ovenmedium heat

Ingredients

12 eggs,
flour,
butter,
sugar (the quantity for each of these last 3 ingredients to be the same as the weight of the 12 eggs in their shells),
butter for the pan,
various fillings and preserves

Directions

Make the batter

Beat the butter, adding sugar a little at a time and the eggs one by one.
When the mixture is creamy, gradually add the flour, mixing continuously.

Prepare and bake the rounds

Prepare 6–8 white paper circles.
Cut the circles so the largest is the size of a dinner plate, each next circle 1 inch smaller.
Grease the paper circles with butter and spread the batter on them, about one finger thick.
Bake 2–3 circles at a time, at medium heat, in a large baking sheet.

Assemble the pyramid

When all circles are baked, spread various creams and preserves on each of them.
Stack the rounds, placing the largest at the base and the smallest at the top to form a pyramid.
On top of the last circle, arrange fruit preserves.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

684Calories

19 gProtein

18 gFat

108 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together124,287 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together92,116 recipes

Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together106,462 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together118,967 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together98,233 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

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: Provide structure and richness as the batter sets when baked.
Flour: Forms the structure that holds each thin round together.
Butter: Adds fat for tenderness and flavour in the batter.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the batter brown lightly in the oven.

The step that matters

Baking the rounds at medium heat. Thin layers can dry out or scorch quickly if the heat is too high. Baking only 2–3 at a time keeps each round evenly cooked and moist.

“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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Pyramid Layered Cake