Why it works: Clove and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,686 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Spiced Mountain Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Cream butter and sugar.
Add the well‑beaten yolks of the eggs.
Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 cup sweet milk, yolks of 5 eggs, and whites of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon.
Grate nutmeg.
Add 1/2 cup flour.
Add 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder.
Add the milk, spices, flour and baking powder.
Add the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth.
Optionally, use yolks of 7 eggs and omit the whites.
Bake and serve
Bake in a long shallow pan.
Bake in a moderate oven.
After a minute or two in the oven, sprinkle a little soft sugar and cinnamon over the cake.
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 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cloves | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
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 + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,686 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Sugar + nutmegtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together23,364 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + clovetop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together17,182 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Egg and nutmeg 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
- Eggs
- Yolks and beaten whites add richness, lift and a tender, airy crumb.
- Butter (in the method)
- Creamed with sugar, it adds fat for a soft, moist texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps create a tender crumb and browning on top.
- Flour (in the method)
- Provides the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking so the cake rises and stays light.
The step that matters
Adding the beaten egg whites. Whites beaten to a stiff froth trap air that lifts the batter. Folding them in gently, rather than stirring hard, keeps that air from collapsing and keeps the cake light.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg, nutmeg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, nutmeg. 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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