Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “the moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Beat the yolks of 5 eggs and the whites of 3 eggs separately until light.
Mix cream of tartar into the flour and baking soda into the milk.
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth.
Add the egg yolks, milk, and flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.
Pour the batter into a large shallow pan.
Bake and finish
Bake in the preheated oven until done.
Beat the whites of the 2 remaining eggs to stiff peaks and gradually add 1½ cups sugar.
Stir in the grated chocolate and vanilla extract.
Once the cake is done, turn it out while hot and spread the icing on top.
Allow the icing to harden, then add a white icing if desired.
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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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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 structure that holds the cake's crumb together as it bakes.
- Eggs
- Yolks add richness and emulsify the batter, while beaten whites add lift and airiness.
- Butter
- Creamed with sugar to trap air and give the cake a tender, rich texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and, creamed with butter or whipped into the whites, helps set texture.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in cream of tartar to release gas that makes the batter rise.
- Grated chocolate
- Adds chocolate flavor, color, and some fat that keeps the crumb moist.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. Adding sugar gradually helps stabilize the foam. Any trace of yolk or grease keeps whites from reaching stiff peaks, and under-whipped whites give the cake less lift.
“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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