Cream Filling for Devil's Food

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.

1. Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together41,516 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

2. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together35,032 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

3. Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

4. Butter + vanillatop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together20,050 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

5. Cream + vanillatop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together12,301 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).

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

Cream

Supplies fat and body, giving the filling richness and a thick, spreadable texture.

Sugar

Sweetens the filling and helps give it a smooth, stable texture as it cooks.

Butter

Adds fat for richness and a smooth, silky mouthfeel.

Vanilla

Adds aroma and a rounded flavor that balances the sweetness.

The step that matters