Why it works: Ginger and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,380 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Ginger Pound Cake
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.
Prepare the batter
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
Beat eggs until light and fluffy, then add to the butter mixture.
Stir in all other ingredients except the baking soda or ammonia.
Beat mixture vigorously for several minutes.
Stir in the baking soda or ammonia.
Bake
Butter a cake mold or thick iron pan, and pour in the mixture.
If using an iron pan, line it with several layers of well-buttered paper before pouring in the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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.
-
Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Orange + cinnamontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,437 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Orange + gingertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,833 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Creamed with sugar, it traps air and gives the cake a tender, rich crumb.
- Eggs
- Beaten in to add structure and lift, helping the cake hold its shape while baking.
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that sets as the cake bakes.
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, dark color, and a deep sweetness that helps the crumb stay soft.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to produce gas that makes the cake rise.
The step that matters
Stirring in the baking soda or ammonia. Leavening must be added after the batter is mixed and just before baking, since its gas-producing reaction starts quickly. Adding it too early lets the gas escape before the cake sets, leaving it dense.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, flour, molasses, ginger, cinnamon):
- Raisinfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits about as well
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, egg, flour, molasses, ginger, cinnamon. 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.
You might also like
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Ginger Cookies213 recipes
Orange Cream Rice Pudding121 recipes
Orange Gelatin100 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.