Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Miss Clara Foley
two very large loaves, or three fair sizedIngredients
Directions
Make the batter
2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoons water.
Bake and finish
Bake in a dripping pan, spread with jelly before cake is cold.
Roll quickly.
Will make two very large loaves, or three fair sized.
If fruit is desired, take one pound of mixed raisins, currants and citron, leaving out the 1/4 pound citron in the above rule.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Water | not in our table | 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 + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Raisin + eggtop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,556 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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
- Eggs
- Provide structure and richness, binding the batter and helping it hold its rise.
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the cake as its starch sets during baking.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, making the cake rise and become light.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness and helps give the cake a tender crumb and browning.
The step that matters
Spread with jelly before the cake is cold. A warm cake softens the jelly so it spreads evenly and sinks slightly into the surface. Once the cake cools, the jelly stiffens and is much harder to spread without tearing the crumb.
“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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