Why it works: Allspice and cinnamon 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 ↓
Spanish Bun
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; 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 bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and eggs until creamy.
Sift the baking soda and cream of tartar through the flour, then add to the mixture.
Stir in the milk, allspice, and cinnamon until well combined.
Bake
Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
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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Allspice + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cinnamon + flourtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Add structure and richness as they set during baking.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender crumb and rich flavor.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and helps the crust brown.
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the batter together as it bakes.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the cream of tartar to help the bread rise.
- Cream of tartar
- Supplies acidity that reacts with baking soda to lift the batter.
The step that matters
Sifting the baking soda and cream of tartar through the flour. Baking soda and cream of tartar must be evenly distributed through the flour so the leavening reacts uniformly, giving an even rise without pockets of soda or bitter spots.
Swap the allspice
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar, butter, milk, cinnamon, cream, flour):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Allspicethe original
- Clovefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar, butter, milk, cinnamon, cream, flour. 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.
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