Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Whipped Cream 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.
Make the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the sweet milk and mix well.
Sift in the flour and baking powder, then mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter.
Divide the batter into two greased cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Whip and assemble
While the cake is baking, whip the heavy cream with vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Once the cakes are cool, spread the whipped cream between the layers and on top.
Serve immediately.
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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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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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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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
- Egg whites
- Whipped into stiff peaks, they trap air that lightens the batter and helps the cake rise.
- Flour
- Forms the main structure of the cake once its proteins set in the oven.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, causing it to rise and become light.
- Heavy cream
- Whipped into stiff peaks, it forms the airy filling and topping that adds moisture and richness.
- Butter
- Creamed with sugar to add richness and tenderness to the crumb.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and, creamed with butter, helps give the crumb its texture.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Stiff whites hold air that gives the cake its lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; stirring vigorously deflates the foam and leaves a dense cake.
“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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