Why it works: Butter and cream match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and 41,494 recipes mention both. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Prepare the batter
Sift 5 ounces of flour four times.
Sift 1/2 tumbler of granulated sugar.
Beat 11 egg whites to stiff peaks.
Gradually add sugar to the egg whites, a little at a time, beating continuously.
Add sifted flour and 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, folding gently.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and continue beating until the batter is smooth.
Bake and cool
Pour batter into an ungreased pan.
Bake for 40 minutes in a moderate oven, do not open the door for the first 15 minutes.
When done, turn the cake upside down to cool, then remove from pan.
Make the icing
For icing, whisk 2 egg whites and 2 tea-cups of sugar; boil sugar with enough water to moisten; pour hot sugar over beaten egg whites slowly; dissolve 1/2 teaspoon citric acid in 1 tablespoon water and add to icing.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Butter + creamtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together41,494 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 3% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together35,031 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Tea + vanillatop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together170 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Corn + teatop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together89 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + creamtop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together43,437 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Sugar and vanilla share little aroma chemistry, yet 35,031 recipes mention both: they likely 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
- Egg whites
- Whipped into a stiff foam that gives the cake its light, airy structure.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the risen foam together once baked.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps stabilise the whipped egg white foam.
- Cream of tartar
- Acidifies the egg whites, helping them whip to a more stable foam.
The step that matters
Folding in the flour. Flour must be folded gently into the whipped whites; vigorous stirring knocks out the air that makes the cake rise and turns it dense.
“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.
More angel food cake recipes
You might also like
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
IllustrationThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.