Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Fig Layer Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Bake the cake
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, mix the flour, eggs, baking powder, butter, and granulated sugar until well combined.
Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
While the cake is baking, beat the egg whites and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fill and finish
Once the cake is baked, chop the figs and raisins finely.
Spread the chopped figs on top of each layer of cake.
Cover the figs with the frosting made from egg whites and powdered sugar.
Return the cake to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
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.
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Fig + raisintop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together737 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + figtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,192 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
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the main structure of the cake crumb.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as they set during baking.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, helping the cake rise.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender texture and rich flavour.
- Egg whites
- Whipped into foam that gives the frosting its light, stable structure.
- Figs
- Add moisture and natural sweetness to the filling.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. Whipped egg whites trap air that gives the frosting its lightness. Under-beaten whites collapse and stay runny, while over-beaten whites turn grainy and dry.
Swap the fig
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg, butter, sugar, raisin):
- Vanillafits better
- Figthe original
- Lemonfits less well
- Coconutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg, butter, sugar, raisin. 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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.