Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Citron Heart Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Cream the butter in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy.
In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until well combined.
Add the sifted flour to the yolk mixture and mix well.
Stir in the brandy and the citron.
Grease small heart-shaped tins or a square tin with melted butter.
Bake
Pour the mixture into the tins, filling them half an inch deep.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 to 20 minutes.
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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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Butter + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender crumb through fat that coats the flour.
- Eggs
- Provide structure and lift, with the whites helping the batter rise and set.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the batter and helps the egg yolks blend smoothly into a fine crumb.
- Sifted flour
- Forms the cake's structure as its proteins set in the oven.
- Brandy
- Adds aroma and flavour to the batter.
- Citron
- Adds candied fruit flavour and texture through the cake.
The step that matters
Beat the egg whites until frothy. Whites trap air that expands in the oven and lifts the batter. Under-beaten whites leave the cakes dense, while over-beaten whites become dry and collapse when folded in.
“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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