Why it works: Nutmeg and raisin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,377 recipes. Both carry alpha-terpineol, which smells lilac, floral. The science ↓
Jelly Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the batter
In a bowl, combine 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup sour milk, 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 eggs, 1 cup seeded raisins, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 glass tart jelly, and 1 teaspoon cloves.
Bake and assemble
Bake in layers, and put together with the jelly.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sour Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
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.
-
Nutmeg + raisintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
-
Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Milk + raisintop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,155 recipes
Shared aroma: decanoic acid (acides aroma).
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Milk + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Nutmeg and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Sour milk
- Its acidity reacts with the soda to produce gas, helping the cake rise and stay tender.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acid in the sour milk to release carbon dioxide, which lifts the batter.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as they set during baking.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps keep the crumb moist and tender.
- Tart jelly
- Adds fruity acidity and moisture where it is spread between the layers.
- Seeded raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness throughout the cake.
The step that matters
Combining the sour milk and soda. Soda needs an acid to react and release gas. If the batter sits too long before baking, the gas escapes and the cake may rise less and turn out denser.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, milk, raisin, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegthe original
- Gingerfits less well
- Allspicefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, milk, raisin, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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