Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Soft Molasses Ginger-bread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a bowl combine six cups flour, two cups sugar, two cups molasses, one cup milk, and two cups butter.
Beat sugar and butter together, then add four beaten eggs.
Add one dessert spoonful cloves, three teaspoons good ginger, molasses and flour, until all is mixed.
Leaven and bake
Dissolve one teaspoon soda and thrice cream of tartar, each in half a cup milk.
Mix in just before putting into oven.
Bake for at least an hour and a half.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 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 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
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.
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Flour + clovetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,671 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + gingertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + gingertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,337 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, 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 main structure that holds the gingerbread together as it bakes.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure and richness to the crumb.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat that tenderizes the crumb and carries flavor.
- Molasses (in the method)
- Adds sweetness, moisture, deep color and the characteristic gingerbread flavor.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the cream of tartar and milk to produce gas that lightens the batter.
The step that matters
Mix in the soda and cream of tartar just before baking. Baking soda and cream of tartar release gas as soon as they are wet and acidic, so the leavening loses power if the batter waits. Putting it straight into the oven keeps the bubbles that lift the cake.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg, ginger):
- Turmericfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg, ginger. 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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