Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Indian Sponge Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Sift flour, cornmeal, soda, and salt together.
Beat the eggs and sugar together.
Mix and bake
Make a hollow in the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture and butter.
Add the sour milk, mixing thoroughly.
Bake at once in a loaf or flat tin pan.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sour Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Cornmeal (in the method)
- Gives the cake its coarse, crumbly structure and a slightly grainy texture.
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the sponge together as it bakes.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in sour milk to release gas, helping the cake rise.
- Sour milk
- Its acidity activates the baking soda and adds moisture and tenderness.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness, moisture, and a tender crumb.
- Eggs (in the method)
- Add structure and richness, and help trap air for a lighter sponge.
The step that matters
Bake at once in a loaf or flat tin pan.. Baking soda starts releasing carbon dioxide as soon as it meets the acid in the sour milk. If the batter waits before baking, that gas escapes and the cake rises less, so it should go into the oven straight after mixing.
“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
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 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.