Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Pineapple Sponge
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the gelatine
Soak the gelatine in cold water for 30 minutes.
Make the pineapple base
Simmer the grated pineapple and sugar for 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
Add the soaked gelatine and lemon juice to the pineapple mixture.
Set and serve
When nearly cold, fold in the whipped cream and beaten egg whites.
Pour into a mold and refrigerate until set.
Serve with additional whipped cream and candied cherries.
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.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Pineapple + lemontop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,964 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
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Pineapple + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,841 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Gelatine
- Sets the liquid mixture into a light, firm, sliceable structure as it cools.
- Egg whites
- Whipped into foam to lighten the texture and give the sponge its airy structure.
- Whipped cream
- Adds richness and a soft, moist texture while lightening the mixture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pineapple and balances the tartness of the fruit and lemon.
- Grated pineapple
- Provides the main fruit flavour and moisture for the sponge.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites and cream when nearly cold. If the mixture is still warm, the whipped cream and egg white foam deflate and lose their air. If it is already set, the foam cannot blend evenly. Waiting until it is nearly cold but still pourable keeps the sponge light.
Swap the pineapple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, lemon, cream, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Orangefits better
- Pineapplethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, lemon, cream, egg. 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.
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