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

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

2. Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together41,516 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

3. Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

4. Milk + appletop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,104 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).

5. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 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

Flour

Forms the main structure of the cake as its starch sets during baking.

Butter

Coats flour and adds richness and a tender crumb.

Eggs

Bind the batter and add structure and richness.

Milk

Adds moisture and hydrates the flour to form the dough.

Apples

Add moisture and tartness that contrast with the sweet, tender cake.

Sugar

Adds sweetness and helps the top brown during baking.

The step that matters

Swap the apple

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

1. Vanillafits better
2. Raisinfits better
3. Coconutfits better
4. Applethe original

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