Why it works: Molasses and ginger are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,116 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Ginger Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the molasses, lard, sour cream, and beaten eggs.
Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, and ground ginger; mix well.
Gradually add flour until the dough is soft but manageable.
Shape and bake
Roll out the dough to a thick consistency on a floured surface.
Cut out shapes and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) until done.
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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Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Ginger + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + flourtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + creamtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,408 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Egg and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Orleans molasses
- Provides sweetness, dark color, and moisture to the dough.
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the cakes tender and short in texture.
- Eggs
- Bind the dough and add structure as they set during baking.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses and sour cream to make the cakes rise and lighten.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acidity that works with the baking soda to aid leavening.
- Ground ginger
- Supplies the warm, spicy aroma that defines the cakes.
The step that matters
Adding the flour gradually. Flour develops gluten as it is worked in, so adding it slowly and stopping once the dough is soft but manageable keeps the cakes tender rather than tough.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, cream, egg, flour):
- Nutmegfits better
- Jalapenofits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, cream, egg, flour. 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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