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 ↓
Caramel Filling
Ingredients
Directions
Combine one cup brown sugar, two-thirds cup sweet cream, and a small piece of butter.
Boil until it thickens in cold water.
Flavor with vanilla and beat until it begins to thicken.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| 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.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Brown sugar
- Provides sweetness and a molasses-rich caramel flavor, and helps set the filling as it cooks.
- Sweet cream
- Adds fat and moisture, giving the filling a smooth, creamy body.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and fat, contributing to a smooth texture and buttery flavor.
The step that matters
Boil until it thickens in cold water. Sugar and cream must reach the right concentration to set. Testing a small drop in cold water shows whether it has cooked long enough to firm up as it cools, so the filling neither stays runny nor turns grainy or hard.
“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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