Why it works: Sugar and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 92,116 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Cocoanut Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Shape the cakes
In a bowl, mix the grated coconut, sugar, and flour until well combined.
Form the mixture into small balls and place them on a baking sheet.
To prevent browning on the bottom, place several layers of paper under the baking sheet.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Grated coconut
- Provides the main body and flavor of the cakes.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the cakes brown as they bake.
- Flour
- Binds the coconut and sugar so the balls hold their shape.
The step that matters
Place paper layers under the baking sheet. Dense, sugary mixtures brown quickly on the bottom, which can scorch before the tops turn golden. Extra layers of paper insulate the base so the cakes bake more evenly.
“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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