Ribbon 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. Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together11,917 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Mace + nutmegtop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,557 recipes

   Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

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

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

4. Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,623 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,341 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

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's crumb together as it bakes.

Eggs

Add structure and richness, with the whites helping the batter set and rise.

Butter

Adds fat that tenderizes the crumb and gives a richer mouthfeel.

Sugar

Sweetens the batter and helps the cake brown while baking.

Baking powder

Releases gas in the batter so the layers rise and become light.

Milk

Provides liquid that hydrates the flour and keeps the batter moist.

Swap the mace

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

1. Cardamomfits better
2. Allspicefits better
3. Clovefits better
4. Macethe original

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