Why it works: Sugar and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Amazing Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Grease rectangular cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix the batter
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Combine oil, vanilla, vinegar and water.
Pour over dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Bake
Pour mix into pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Cocoa powder + vanillatop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,189 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Flour + vanillatop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,241 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + cocoa powdertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,244 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Sugar + cocoa powdertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,920 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the cake's crumb together as it bakes.
- Granulated sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps keep the cake tender and moist.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Gives the cake its chocolate flavour and dark colour.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the vinegar to produce gas that makes the cake rise.
- Cooking oil
- Adds moisture and softness to the crumb.
- Vinegar
- Reacts with the baking soda to lift the batter and adds slight acidity.
The step that matters
Pour over dry ingredients and mix until smooth. The baking soda and vinegar begin reacting as soon as they meet liquid, so the batter should be mixed promptly and only until smooth. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cake tough, and delay in baking lets some of the rising gas escape.
“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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