Why it works: Vanilla and milk 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 ↓
Cocoa Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Cream the butter in a warm bowl until soft, but not melted.
Gradually stir in the sugar, beating well.
Add the beaten yolks of the eggs and the vanilla extract.
Sift the baking powder and cocoa with ½ cup of the flour, then stir this into the mixture.
Alternate adding the milk and the remaining flour until the mixture is stiff enough to drop from a spoon.
Beat vigorously, then fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.
Bake
Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35 to 40 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pan.
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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Vanilla + milktop 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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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Vanilla + cocoa powdertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,189 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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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
- Yolks add richness and emulsify the batter, while beaten whites lighten and help it rise.
- Butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and flavor, and creamed soft it traps air in the batter.
- Pastry flour
- Provides the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the cake rises and becomes light.
- Cocoa powder
- Gives the cake its chocolate flavor and deep color.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake and helps keep it moist and tender.
The step that matters
Folding in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Egg whites hold air that gives the cake its lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; vigorous stirring after this point deflates the batter and yields 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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