Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Marshmallow Filling
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form.
Make the filling
Slowly pour the sugar mixture into the beaten egg whites while continuing to beat.
Add the marshmallows, which have been softened in a 300°F oven until puffy but not browned.
Beat the mixture until smooth.
Cool and spread
Allow to cool, then spread between cake layers.
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 + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and, cooked into a syrup, adds body to the whipped whites.
- Egg whites
- Whipped into a foam that gives the filling its light, airy structure.
- Marshmallows
- Add sweetness and softness, helping the filling become smooth and thick.
The step that matters
Pouring the sugar mixture into the egg whites. The syrup must be added slowly while beating continuously. Pouring it in too quickly can deflate the foam and leave the filling dense rather than light.
“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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