Why it works: Cinnamon and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓
Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat.
Mix the grated chocolate, cinnamon, and bread crumbs together.
Gradually add this mixture to the egg and sugar, then add vanilla and beat well.
Bake
Drop spoonfuls onto buttered paper, about three inches apart.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for twenty minutes, first ten minutes on the floor of the oven, then ten minutes on the rack.
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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Cinnamon + vanillatop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,287 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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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 + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Cinnamon + chocolatetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,808 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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 a foam that gives the batter its lift and airy structure.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the batter and stabilizes the whipped egg white foam.
- Grated chocolate
- Supplies the chocolate flavor and a little fat for richness.
- Baker's bread
- Adds body to the batter, giving the drops some substance and bulk.
- Cinnamon
- Adds warm aroma that complements the chocolate.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites to a stiff froth. Whites must be beaten until they hold stiff peaks. Under-beaten foam collapses and the spoonfuls spread flat, while over-beaten whites turn dry and grainy and lose their lift in the oven.
“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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