Why it works: Syrup and sugar match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,842 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Yorkshire Parkin
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and ground ginger.
Make the batter
Melt the golden syrup, sugar, and margarine (or lard) in a saucepan.
Combine the melted mixture with the dry ingredients, then add the warm milk and egg.
Beat the mixture thoroughly until well combined.
Pour the batter into a well-greased baking tin.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
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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Syrup + sugartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,842 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + gingertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Golden syrup
- Adds sweetness, moisture and a dark, sticky texture to the crumb.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the structure that sets the batter as it bakes.
- Margarine or lard
- Adds fat for a tender, moist crumb.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking so the cake rises and lightens.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and helps give it structure.
- Ground ginger
- Provides the warm, spicy aroma that defines the cake.
The step that matters
Beat the mixture thoroughly until well combined. Thorough mixing evenly distributes the leavening and wet ingredients so the batter bakes with an even rise and a uniform crumb. Under-mixing can leave pockets of dry flour or uneven texture.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (syrup, sugar, flour, egg, milk):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Jalapenofits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against syrup, sugar, flour, 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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