Why it works: Flour and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Cream Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the batter
Mix salt, soda, and cream-tartar with the flour.
Beat yolks and whites separately, then together, and pour them into the middle of the flour.
Add nearly a pint and a half of rich sweet cream, which must be thick, and real cream.
Bake and serve
Bake in muffin pans.
Serve to the table the moment they are done.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + creamtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the muffins together as they set.
- Eggs
- Add structure and richness, and the whipped whites help lift the batter.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, giving the muffins a tender crumb.
- Cream of tartar
- Acts as an acid that reacts with soda to release gas and help the muffins rise.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acid in cream of tartar to produce gas that makes the muffins rise.
The step that matters
Add thick, real cream. The cream supplies most of the liquid, so its thickness sets the batter's body. Thin or watery cream adds too much moisture for the flour to hold, leaving the muffins heavy or loose.
“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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