Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Beat butter until creamy, then add sugar and mix until smooth.
Add egg yolks and beat for 5 minutes, then gradually add water.
Beat for 5 to 10 minutes, then mix in flavoring.
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together four times.
Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, about a third at a time, beating thoroughly for 5 minutes after each addition.
Grease a baking pan and beat batter again for a few minutes.
Whisk egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into batter.
Bake and check
Pour batter into paper-lined tin, filling a little over half full, and smooth top.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 60 minutes.
Avoid slamming doors or opening windows while baking to prevent drafts.
Check cake by looking through oven door without fully opening it.
The cake is done when golden brown and slightly raised in the center.
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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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Butter and flour 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
- Butter
- Creams with sugar to trap air and give the cake a tender crumb and rich flavor.
- Eggs
- Egg yolks add richness and structure, while whipped whites add lift and a light texture.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that sets the cake as its proteins and starches cook.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, helping the cake rise and become light.
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetens the batter and helps hold air when beaten with butter for a fine texture.
The step that matters
Folding in the whipped egg whites. Whites hold the air that lifts the batter. Folding gently keeps that air in, while stirring hard would deflate the foam and produce a dense, flat cake.
“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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