Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Wedding Cake
Ingredients
Directions
MRS. HENRY SCRIBNER.
Ten eggs, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one pound of flour, four pounds of raisins after stoning, four pounds of cur- rants after washing, two pounds of citron, one ounce of nutmeg, one ounce of cinnamon and a fourth of an ounce of cloves.
MRS. DODGE'S WEDDING CAKE.
MRS. A. Y. KAWSON.
Four pounds of flour, three pounds of brown sugar, twenty- seven eggs, five pounds of stoned raisins, five pounds of currants, one pound of citron, a half pound of preserved orange peel, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and three teaspoons of soda.
MRS. HARMON'S FRUIT CAKE.
One coffeecup of sugar, two-thirds of a teacup of butter, two- thirds of a teacup of molasses, one teacup of buttermilk, spice and fruit of all kinds, one ^^^ and the white of another, one tea- spoon of soda and flour to make a stiff batter.
154 LOAF CAKES.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
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.
-
Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Cinnamon + orangetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,437 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, raisin, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange):
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits better
- Lemonfits better
- Currantthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, flour, raisin, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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