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 ↓
Fried Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, and beaten eggs.
Add the sour milk, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg. Stir until well combined.
Fry and serve
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.
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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Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Milk + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Egg and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Bind the batter and add structure and richness to the cakes.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic sour milk to produce gas that lifts the cakes.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acidity that works with the baking soda to help the cakes rise.
- Sour milk
- Its acidity activates the baking soda and adds tang and tenderness.
- Cream
- Adds fat and moisture, making the cakes tender and rich.
The step that matters
Frying the batter in hot oil. If the oil is not hot enough, the cakes absorb excess oil and turn greasy. If it is too hot, the outside browns before the centre cooks. Medium heat gives even golden browning.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, cream, egg, milk):
- Nutmegthe original
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Gingerfits less well
- Peppermintfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, cream, egg, milk. 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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