Ginger Cake

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.

1. Allspice + gingertop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,620 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

3. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Flour + allspicetop 13% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,302 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Allspice + vinegartop 13% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,548 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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

Flour

Provides the structure that holds the cake together as it bakes.

Eggs

Add structure and richness, binding the batter as it sets.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acid in the vinegar and treacle to produce gas that lifts the cake.

Butter

Adds fat for a tender crumb and rich flavour.

Treacle

Adds dark sweetness, moisture and the characteristic colour of the cake.

Syrup

Adds sweetness and moisture, helping the cake stay soft.

The step that matters

Swap the ginger

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, allspice, syrup, butter, egg, milk, vinegar):

1. Cinnamonfits better
2. Nutmegfits better
3. Cardamomfits better
4. Gingerthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, allspice, syrup, butter, egg, milk, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.