Why it works: Cream and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Ginger Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the gelatin
Soak the gelatin in cold water until soft.
Add the boiling water and stir until dissolved.
Let stand until cold.
When it thickens, beat until light.
Make the cream
Whip the whites of the eggs until stiff.
Add the whipped cream.
Place the bowl in a pan of ice water.
Sift in the powdered sugar.
Chop the ginger finely and mix with a little powdered sugar.
Add the ginger and mix lightly; when thickening add the gelatin.
Mould and serve
Dip an ice cream brick in cold water and drain.
Fill the ice cream brick with the cream mixture and let stand until thickened.
Cut into slices when serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + gingertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together14,054 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Cream + gingertop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,137 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Sugar and ginger barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 14,054 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
- Gelatine
- Sets the cream so it holds its shape when chilled and sliced.
- Eggs
- Whites whipped to stiff foam give the cream lightness and airy structure.
- Whipped cream
- Adds fat and richness, giving a smooth, creamy texture.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the cream and dissolves easily into it.
- Ginger
- Provides the main aroma and flavour of the dish.
The step that matters
Add the gelatin while the mixture is only thickening. If the gelatin is added when it is too warm or too cold, it can set in lumps or fail to mix evenly. Adding it as the cream begins to thicken lets it distribute through the foam and set it uniformly.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, sugar, egg):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cream, sugar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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