Name: Filling for Orange Cake
Ingredients: two cups of sugar were used; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1-1/4 cups flour; 1/2 cup boiling water; half cup of boiling water; two square layer cake pans; 1 cup sugar; 2 cups flour; 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder piece of butter the size of egg; 1 cup milk; 3/4 cup of fine; 1/2 cup of high-grade flour; 1/2 teaspoonful of cream of tartar; 1/2 teaspoonful of vanilla; 2 cups brown sugar; 1/2 cup butter; 2 ounces baker's chocolate; 1 teaspoonful soda; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup butter; 3/4 cup milk; 2 cups flour sifted; 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder; one tablespoonful of sugar; 1 cup butter; 2 cups sugar; 3-1/2 cups flour; 1 cup sweet milk; 1 teaspoonful rosewater; one egg

Why it works: Milk and vanilla 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.

Milk + vanillatop 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).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

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

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

Orange (in the method): Rind adds aromatic oils and juice adds acidity and brightness to the filling.
Egg white: Beaten stiff, it traps air and gives the filling body so it holds its shape.
Pulverized sugar: Stiffens the beaten white and adds sweetness, helping the filling hold between cake layers.

The step that matters

Beating the egg white stiff, then adding sugar. Beaten egg white proteins unfold and trap air to form a foam. Adding sugar gradually stabilizes that foam. Under-beaten white leaves the filling runny, while over-beaten white turns dry and grainy.

“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
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Water	not in our table	0
Cake	not in our table	0

Filling for Orange Cake