Why it works: Sugar and cream 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 ↓
Cherry Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Soften one and one-half tablespoonfuls of granulated gelatin in one-fourth cup of cold water.
Add one-half cup of boiling water, one-half cup of sugar, one cup of cherry juice, and juice of half a lemon.
When the mixture is cold enough to hold together, add one cup of whipped cream.
Mold the mixture into individual molds and serve on sponge drops.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry | 1 cup (138g) | 87 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| 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.
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + cherrytop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,598 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cherry + creamtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together827 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Granulated gelatin
- Sets the liquid into a soft, sliceable structure as it cools.
- Whipped cream
- Adds fat and airiness, making the set mixture lighter and creamier.
- Cherry juice
- Provides the main flavor and liquid base of the cream.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the mixture and balances the tartness of the cherry juice and lemon.
The step that matters
When the mixture is cold enough to hold together, add one cup of whipped cream.. If the gelatin mixture is still too warm, the whipped cream will deflate and lose its air. If it has already set firmly, the cream will not blend in evenly and the texture will be lumpy.
Swap the cherry
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, cream):
- Vanillafits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Cherrythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, cream. 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.
You might also like
Cherry Pudding108 recipes
Cherry Ice24 recipes
Cherry Ice Cream8 recipes
Cherry Bread Pudding6 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.