Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Fig Layer Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop one pound of figs and one-half pound of raisins finely.
Beat the whites of two eggs and one-half cup of powdered sugar to a stiff froth.
Bake and assemble
Mix the batter and bake in a hot oven.
Spread the figs on top of each layer and cover with frosting.
Put the cake in the oven again for five minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Fig | 1 medium (50g) | 37 |
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.
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Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Fig + raisintop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together737 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + figtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,192 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Whipped whites give the frosting a light, stiff foam that holds its shape.
- Butter
- Fat that tenderises the crumb and adds richness to the cake.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas as it heats, helping the batter rise and lighten.
- Figs
- Chopped fruit that adds moisture and sweetness between the layers.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the frosting and helps stabilise the whipped egg whites.
The step that matters
Beat the whites to a stiff froth. Egg whites must be whipped until they hold stiff peaks; under-whipped whites collapse and make the frosting runny. Keep all yolk and grease out of the whites, since fat prevents them from foaming fully.
Swap the fig
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, butter, sugar, raisin, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Figthe original
- Lemonfits less well
- Coconutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, butter, sugar, raisin, egg. 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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