Why it works: Wheat and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,418 recipes. Both carry (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, melon. The science ↓
Griddle Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Sift the flour, meal, salt, and baking powder together.
Stir in the milk and syrup until well combined.
Cook
Heat a greased griddle over medium-high heat.
Pour batter onto the griddle and cook until bubbles form, then flip and cook until golden brown.
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.
-
Wheat + milktop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,418 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Milk + syruptop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,143 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Wheat + syruptop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together163 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the cakes together as they cook.
- Meal
- Adds body and a coarser texture to the batter.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when heated, making the cakes rise and turn light.
- Milk
- Hydrates the dry ingredients and adds moisture and richness to the batter.
- Syrup
- Adds sweetness and helps the cakes brown on the griddle.
The step that matters
Flipping the cakes. Flip only once bubbles form across the surface and the edges look set. Flipping too early tears the cake and traps batter inside, while waiting too long can dry it out.
“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.
More griddle cakes recipes
You might also like
The 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.

Wheat Gruel6 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes