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 ↓
Chocolate 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.
Make the batter
Cream the butter and gradually add 1 cup of sugar.
Beat the egg yolks until thick and gradually add the remaining sugar.
Combine the two mixtures and alternately add the milk and the flour mixed with baking powder.
Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites, then add the melted chocolate and vanilla.
Bake and finish
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45 to 50 minutes.
Cover with chocolate frosting.
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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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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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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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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
- Eggs
- Egg yolks add richness and whites, beaten stiff, lighten the batter for a tender crumb.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that sets the cake as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, helping the cake rise.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a soft texture and rich flavor.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps keep it moist and tender.
- Chocolate
- Adds chocolate flavor and richness to the batter.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Stiffly beaten whites hold air that makes the cake light. Stirring them vigorously deflates the foam, so fold gently and just until blended.
“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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