Name: Guamanian Pudding Dessert
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups water; 1 can Carnation Evaporated Milk (12 oz. size); 1/4 cup margarine, cut into pieces; 6 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 eggs, beaten; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1/3 cup water; 1 Baked Pound Cake, cut into thin slices (about 1/4-1/2" thick); ground cinnamon

Why it works: Vanilla and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

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.

Vanilla + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,287 recipes

Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together30,779 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Evaporated milk + sugartop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together804 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Evaporated milk + vanillatop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together514 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

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: Set the custard as they cook, giving the pudding body and structure.
Cornstarch: Thickens the liquid into a pudding texture as it heats.
Evaporated milk: Provides richness and creaminess to the pudding base.
Baked pound cake: Forms the sturdy base layer that the pudding is spread over.
Margarine: Adds fat for a smoother, richer mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Heating the pudding over medium-low while stirring constantly. Cornstarch needs to reach a simmer to fully thicken, but eggs can curdle or scramble if heated too fast. Constant stirring over gentle heat keeps the starch and egg proteins smooth and evenly set.

“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.

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
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Cinnamon	1 tsp ground (2.6g)	6
Water	not in our table	0
Carnation	not in our table	0
Cake	not in our table	0

Guamanian Pudding Dessert