Why it works: Milk and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,399 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Layer Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Make the cake
Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon cream tartar, 4 teaspoons baking soda or 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Bake batter in three layers.
Make the filling
Prepare filling: beat 1 cup whipped cream, 1 lemon grated rind and juice, 1 egg, 1 small cup sugar, and butter the size of a walnut.
Beat filling mixture together and boil until thick.
Spread filling between layers when cold.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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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Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Eggs
- Provide structure and richness as the proteins set during baking.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softness to the batter.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acid that helps the leavening react and lift the batter.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the batter to release gas that lightens the cake.
- Baking powder
- Supplies its own acid and base to release gas that lifts the batter as it bakes.
- Whipped cream
- Adds fat and trapped air, giving the filling a light, soft texture.
The step that matters
Boil the filling until thick. The egg in the filling thickens as it heats, but if it boils too hard or too long it can scramble or turn grainy. Keep the heat controlled and watch for the filling to thicken.
“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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