Why it works: Flour and almond are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,673 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Cream Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
In a bowl, stir together the cream and sugar until well combined.
Beat in the egg until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt into the flour.
Gradually stir the dry mixture into the cream, sugar, and egg mixture.
Add the bitter almond flavoring and mix well.
Bake and serve
Pour the batter into a loaf pan.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve fresh.
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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Flour + almondtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,673 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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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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Cream + almondtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,130 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Provides the main structure that sets as the cake bakes.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and adds structure and richness as it sets.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic cream of tartar to release gas that lifts the batter.
- Cream of tartar
- Supplies acid that activates the baking soda, helping the cake rise.
- Thick sweet cream
- Adds moisture, fat and tenderness to the crumb.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps brown the crust while keeping it moist.
The step that matters
Gradually stir the dry mixture into the cream, sugar, and egg mixture.. Mixing too vigorously once flour is added develops gluten, which can make the cake tough. Stirring gently until just combined keeps the crumb tender, and the leavening starts working as soon as wet and dry ingredients meet.
“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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