Why it works: Ginger and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Molasses Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Dissolve the baking soda in warm water.
Mix and pan
Mix all ingredients together, adding the baking soda last. Beat well and pour into pans lined with greased paper.
Do not fill the pans more than 1 inch deep.
Bake and test
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) for 20 to 30 minutes. Test for doneness with a broom whisk.
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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Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 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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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + clovetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,483 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Flour and butter 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
- Molasses
- Provides dark color, moisture and a rich, slightly bitter sweetness.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to produce gas, helping the cake rise.
- Flour
- Forms the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and a richer crumb.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acidity that works with the baking soda to help leavening.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and set during baking to give structure.
The step that matters
Adding the baking soda last. Baking soda starts reacting as soon as it meets the acidic molasses, so it should be mixed in just before the batter goes into the pans to keep the gas bubbles that make the cake rise.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, ginger, flour, butter, cream, milk, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits about as well
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, ginger, flour, butter, cream, milk, egg. 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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