Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Jelly Cake, No. 2
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Make the batter
Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.
Whisk the eggs until very light and add them to the butter mixture.
Stir in the spices and rose water, then gradually add the flour.
Beat the mixture vigorously for 10 minutes.
Bake
Grease a griddle or baking iron and a cake ring with butter.
Pour 3 tablespoons of the mixture into the ring on the griddle.
Bake in the hot oven until the top is set; do not turn the cakes.
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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Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Add structure and richness as they set and bind the batter.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the cakes together as they bake.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender texture and rich flavor.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the batter become creamy and light when beaten with butter.
The step that matters
Beat the mixture vigorously for 10 minutes. Beating the batter incorporates air into the creamed butter and eggs, which helps the cakes rise and gives a light texture. Under-beating can leave the cakes dense, while the flour should be added before this long beating.
“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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