Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Fried Cakes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
In a bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and eggs until well combined.
Add the melted butter and cinnamon or nutmeg, mixing well.
Stir in the sour milk and dissolved baking soda.
Gradually mix in sifted flour until the dough is stiff enough to roll out.
Fry and serve
Fry the dough in hot oil until golden brown.
Remove from oil and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
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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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Cinnamon + flourtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cinnamon + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Butter + flourtop 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
- Bind the dough and add richness and structure as they set in the frying oil.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the sour milk's acidity to produce gas, helping the cakes rise and lighten.
- Sour milk
- Its acidity activates the baking soda and adds moisture and a tangy flavor.
- Sifted flour
- Provides the gluten and starch structure that lets the dough hold its shape when rolled.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and flavor in the dough.
The step that matters
Frying in hot oil until golden brown. If the oil is not hot enough, the dough absorbs oil and turns greasy; if too hot, the outside browns before the inside cooks through. Steady heat gives an evenly cooked, light cake.
“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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