Why it works: Butter and molasses are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 30% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,123 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
★ Molasses Bread or Hard Molasses Cake--no Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Cream butter and sugar, add anise and molasses, beat well and add flour; turn mixture out on floured board, mold up and put into flat tins about 1 in. deep, wash over with milk and bake in a very slow oven.
Soften the cakes
Wrap or cover with damp cloths and keep at least 4 days before using.
If necessary, moisten the cloths again, and perhaps again.
Keep the cakes for a few days in damp cloths to soften.
Flavor
Optionally add grated orange peel and vanilla for flavoring.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
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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Butter + molassestop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,123 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds fat that gives the cakes a tender, rich crumb.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture and a dark colour to the bread.
- Flour (in the method)
- Provides the structure that holds the cakes together.
The step that matters
Keep the cakes wrapped in damp cloths. Resting the cakes in damp cloths for several days lets moisture spread through the crumb so they soften. If they dry out early, they stay hard, so the cloths need re-moistening when they dry.
“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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