Why it works: Vanilla and cocoa work together. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 357 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Rich and Easy Egg Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and milk over a low heat.
Once melted add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Stir well and pour into a greased tin (I pour into two loaf tins but one larger tin is fine).
Bake
Cook for 1 hour on 180 °C / gas 4.
Test with a skewer – if the mixture sticks then cook for a little longer.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| 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.
-
Vanilla + cocoatop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together357 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Sugar + syruptop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,842 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked 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
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender crumb by coating flour and keeping the cake moist.
- Plain flour
- Provides the structure that sets the cake as the batter bakes.
- Cocoa
- Gives the cake its chocolate flavour and dark colour.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking so the cake rises and becomes light.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Reacts with the acidity in the batter to help it rise and aids browning.
- Golden syrup
- Adds sweetness and moisture, helping the cake stay soft and keep well.
The step that matters
Test with a skewer before removing the cake. The centre sets last, so a skewer that comes out sticky shows the batter is not yet baked. Removing the cake early can leave it dense and gummy in the middle.
“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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