Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Molasses Sponge 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 molasses and buttermilk, mixing well.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
Fold and bake
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until very light and fluffy.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.
Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick 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.
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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Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Buttermilk + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,721 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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 as its proteins set during baking.
- Eggs
- Whipped whites trap air that lifts the batter and helps set its structure.
- Butter
- Adds fat that makes the crumb tender and rich.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and deep colour and flavour.
- Buttermilk
- Its acidity reacts with baking soda and keeps the crumb tender.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic buttermilk and molasses to release gas that makes the cake rise.
The step that matters
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.. Whipped egg whites hold air that lifts the cake. Stirring hard or too long deflates those bubbles, leaving a dense crumb, so fold gently and stop once no streaks remain.
“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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