Why it works: Cream and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Molasses Pound Cake
Ingredients
Directions
MRS. MARIE LOUISE JONES, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
_Contributed by Mrs. Meredith Bailey, Philadelphia, Pa._
Two and one half lbs. of flour, 1 lb. of butter, 1 lb. of sugar, 1 pint of molasses, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon of pearl ash, 1 cup of cream, spices to taste.
DOUGHNUTS.
_Contributed by Miss F. Virginia Baldwin, West Orange, N. J._
Two teacups of sugar, 2 teacups of buttermilk, 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons full of saleratus, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
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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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream + buttermilktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together674 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, cream, butter, egg, sugar, buttermilk):
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Nutmegthe original
- Gingerfits less well
- Allspicefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, cream, butter, egg, sugar, buttermilk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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