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 ↓
Dried Apple Fruit Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak 1 cup dried apples overnight.
Make the batter
Mix 1 cup molasses, 1 cup salt pork chopped fine, and 1 cup boiling water.
Pour the water over the pork, then add the apples chopped fine and the molasses.
When cold, add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon cream tartar, 1 cup flour, and all kinds spice.
Add chopped dates and fruit if desired.
Bake
Bake for one hour in a stove oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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 starch and gluten network that gives the cake its structure.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and set during baking to give the cake structure.
- Molasses (in the method)
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and a dark color and deep flavor.
- Dried apples (in the method)
- Add fruit flavor and a soft, chewy texture once softened by soaking.
- Soda (in the method)
- Reacts with the acid in cream tartar to release gas that lifts the batter.
- Cream tartar (in the method)
- Acts as an acid that reacts with the soda to help the cake rise.
The step that matters
When cold, add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon cream tartar, 1 cup flour, and all kinds spice.. Adding the eggs to a hot mixture can cook them unevenly and cause lumps. Letting the mixture cool first keeps the batter smooth. The soda and cream tartar should be mixed in promptly so their rising action is not lost.
“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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