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 ↓
No-Bake Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
Melt the margarine.
Mix the sugar and the egg.
Add the melted margarine to the egg and sugar mixture.
Add the cocoa and the vanilla extract.
Add crumbled graham crackers.
Mix well until all crackers are covered.
Chill and serve
Line a cake pan with aluminum foil.
Pour the mixture into the lined pan.
Leave in refrigerator for 1 hour (preferably longer).
Unmold and serve.
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 |
| Biscuit | 1 medium (45g) | 166 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Wheat | 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).
-
Vanilla + biscuittop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together422 recipes
Shared aroma: maltol (caramel, sweet).
-
Vanilla + cocoa powdertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,189 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Sugar + cocoa powdertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,920 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + biscuittop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,874 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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
- Margarine
- Adds fat that makes the mixture rich and helps it set firm when chilled.
- Graham crackers
- Provide the crumb structure that the cake holds together around when chilled.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps bind the mixture into a smooth base.
- Egg
- Binds the sugar and fat together into the mixture.
- Cocoa powder
- Gives the chocolate flavour and colour.
The step that matters
Chill long enough to set. The no-bake cake has no oven to firm it up, so it relies on the fat in the margarine cooling and solidifying. Cutting the chilling short leaves a soft, crumbly slice that falls apart when unmolded.
“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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