Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Nell's Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Make the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the 3 egg yolks and mix well.
Stir in the milk and baking powder.
Gradually add the flour, mixing until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the 2 egg whites to stiff peaks.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter gently.
Bake
Pour the batter into two long shallow baking tins.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Dress and serve
For the dressing, beat the 1½ cups sugar with the grated chocolate and vanilla until smooth.
Spread the dressing over the cooled cake and cut into diamond slices.
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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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
- Forms the main structure that holds the cake's crumb together as it bakes.
- Eggs
- Yolks add richness and emulsify the batter; whipped whites add lift and a lighter texture.
- Butter
- Fat coats the flour and sugar, giving the cake a tender, moist crumb and rich flavour.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cake, helps tenderize the crumb, and contributes to browning.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, causing the batter to rise and become lighter.
- Grated chocolate
- Adds chocolate flavour and deep colour to the sugar dressing.
The step that matters
Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter gently. Beaten egg whites hold air that makes the cake light. Vigorous stirring deflates them, leaving a denser, heavier cake after baking.
“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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