Name: Black and White Cake
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 cup flour; 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1 cup of brown sugar; 1 teaspoon soda; 1 teaspoon molasses; 2 cups sugar; 1 cup butter; 3 teaspoons of baking powder; 2 cups of confectioner's sugar; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon of royce's vanilla; 14 cup but- ter; 1/2 cup sweet milk; 2 cups flour; 3 ounces of chocolate into a double boiler; a teaspoon of vanilla; 3 eggs; 1/2 cuj; 1 cap sour milk; 4 eggs; 1/4 cake chocolate; 2 layers; 1 egg

Why it works: Vanilla and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

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.

Vanilla + milktop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,187 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Vanilla + chocolatetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,020 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together81,283 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,225 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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 structure that holds the cake layers together as they bake.
Eggs: Add structure and richness, and help set the custard-like filling as it thickens.
Butter: Adds fat for a tender crumb and rich flavor.
Baking powder: Releases gas as it heats, helping the cake layers rise.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the cake brown and stay tender.
Chocolate: Gives the filling its chocolate flavor and thick, rich body.

The step that matters

Adding the egg yolk to the hot chocolate mixture. Egg yolk proteins thicken when heated but can curdle if the mixture is too hot or the yolk goes in too fast. Stirring steadily while adding it keeps the filling smooth.

“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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Chocolate	1 oz (28g) semisweet	155
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Sour Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Molasses	1 tbsp (20g)	58
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Cake	not in our table	0

Black and White Cake