Why it works: Egg and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cake Frosting, to Make
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a cool oven”. The 300°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Beat the egg whites until they are white and thick.
Gradually add the loaf sugar, white starch, and gum arabic while continuing to beat.
Once well combined, dry the frosting in a cool oven (300°F / 150°C).
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.
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg whites
- Whipped into a foam that gives the frosting its light, airy structure.
- Loaf sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps stabilize the whipped egg white foam.
- White starch
- Thickens the mixture and helps it hold its shape as it dries.
- Gum arabic
- Acts as a binder that helps the frosting dry firm and smooth.
The step that matters
Gradually adding the sugar and starch while beating. Adding the dry ingredients slowly, while beating, lets sugar dissolve into the foam and keeps the egg white structure from collapsing, so the frosting stays stable.
“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.
More cake frosting recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.