Burnett Cake

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.

1. Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together19,187 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

3. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together35,032 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

4. Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Flour + vanillatop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together19,241 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

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

Eggs

Add structure and richness to the crumb as they set during baking.

Flour

Forms the main structure of the cake crumb as its starches set when heated.

Butter

Adds fat for tenderness and a richer, softer crumb.

Sugar

Sweetens the cake and helps brown the top while keeping the crumb moist.

Baking powder

Releases gas when heated, helping the cake rise and become light.

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, butter, milk, flour, vanilla, vinegar, egg):

1. Figfits better
2. Peachfits better
3. Strawberryfits better
4. Lemonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, butter, milk, flour, vanilla, vinegar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.