Why it works: Cinnamon and allspice match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,536 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Marble Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the batter
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the milk and egg whites, mixing well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, then gradually add to the wet mixture.
In another bowl, mix the molasses, dark brown sugar, and remaining butter until smooth.
Add the milk, spices, and baking powder to the molasses mixture, then mix in the flour until combined.
Bake
In a greased six-quart pan, alternate layers of the white and dark batter as desired.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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.
-
Cinnamon + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Provides the main structure that sets as the cake bakes.
- Egg whites
- Add structure and help hold the batter together while it rises.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the cake rises and becomes light.
- Butter
- Adds fat that makes the crumb tender and rich.
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, deep flavour and dark colour to the dark batter.
- Dark brown sugar
- Adds sweetness, moisture and caramel notes to the dark batter.
The step that matters
Mix in the flour until just combined. Once flour is added, overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough and dense. Stop as soon as no dry flour streaks remain.
Swap the allspice
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, milk, egg, molasses, cinnamon):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits about as well
- Clovefits about as well
- Allspicethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, flour, milk, egg, molasses, cinnamon. 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.
More marble cake recipes
You might also like
Molasses Cookies96 recipes
Molasses Cake90 recipes
Cinnamon Rolls71 recipes
Clove Cake53 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.