Why it works: Molasses and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,225 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Soft Gingerbread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a good oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, mix the flour and lard until well combined.
Add salt and ginger to the flour mixture.
Make the batter
In another bowl, beat the eggs and then add molasses and brown sugar.
Dissolve baking soda in a little water and add it to the egg mixture.
Stir in the sour milk or buttermilk.
Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture and mix well.
Bake
Pour the batter into sponge cake pans and bake until done.
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.
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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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Ginger + molassestop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + gingertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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 structure of the batter as the main body of the cake.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderises the crumb and keeps it moist.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as it sets in the oven.
- Molasses
- Adds dark colour, moisture and the characteristic gingerbread sweetness and flavour.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic sour milk or buttermilk to produce gas that lifts the batter.
- Sour milk or buttermilk
- Provides acidity that activates the baking soda and adds tenderness.
The step that matters
Dissolving the baking soda and adding it to the batter. Baking soda needs an acid, such as the sour milk or buttermilk, to release gas and lift the batter. Mixing it thoroughly into the liquid ensures an even rise and avoids pockets of soda that can taste bitter.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg, molasses, sugar, milk):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Jalapenofits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg, molasses, sugar, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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