Why it works: Flour and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 106,462 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
A Good Plain Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Mix flour, baking powder, salt, spice, and sugar together.
Rub in butter, then mix in sultanas, currants, and sliced peel.
Beat eggs and milk together, then add to the mixture to moisten.
Bake
Bake in a quick oven thoroughly.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
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 + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Flour
- Forms the main structure that holds the cake together as it sets.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, helping the cake rise.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat that tenderises the crumb and carries flavour.
- Eggs
- Add structure, richness, and moisture to the batter.
- Milk (in the method)
- Adds moisture that softens the flour and keeps the cake tender.
The step that matters
Bake in a quick oven thoroughly. Heat sets the flour and egg proteins into a firm crumb. If the cake is pulled too early, the centre stays wet and can sink as it cools.
“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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