Why it works: Cream and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Cherry Pudding
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.
Prepare the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, sugar, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs into the sweet milk.
Combine the egg mixture with the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
Add the sour cream and mix until the batter is perfectly smooth.
Bake and serve
Pour the batter over the cherries in a greased pudding dish.
Bake for 30 minutes or steam for 1 hour.
Serve with sweet sauce.
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.
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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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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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 holds the pudding together as it sets.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and help it set, giving the pudding structure and body.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic sour milk or cream to produce gas that lifts the batter.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acidity that works with the baking soda to help the pudding rise.
- Sour milk or cream
- Its acidity activates the baking soda and adds tenderness and moisture.
- Cherries
- Add fruit moisture and tartness that contrast with the sweet batter.
The step that matters
Mixing the batter until smooth. Overmixing once the flour is combined develops gluten, which can make the pudding tough and dense. Mix just until the batter is smooth and no dry flour streaks remain, then pour it promptly so the leavening acts while the batter is still airy.
“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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