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 ↓
Chocolate Marmalade Layer Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 170°C fan/convection.
Grease 2 round cake tins and line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
Make and bake the batter
Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs until well-combined.
Mix in the flour mixture just until combined.
Divide batter evenly between the prepared tins.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.
Assemble
When completely cool, cover one cake layer with a generous, even layer of marmalade.
Place the second cake on top.
If desired, dust the top with a small amount of powdered sugar as decoration.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| 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.
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 pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + cocoa powdertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,244 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Cocoa powder + sugartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,920 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Cocoa powder + buttertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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
- Self-raising flour
- Provides the structure of the crumb as the batter sets in the oven.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender texture and rich flavor.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure and moisture to the crumb.
- Superfine sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps create a light, fluffy creamed base.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the oven so the cake rises and becomes light.
- Marmalade
- Adds sweetness and bright citrus acidity between the layers.
The step that matters
Mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Overmixing once flour is added develops gluten, which toughens the crumb and can make the cake dense and tough.
“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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