Why it works: Cream and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 30,481 recipes. Both carry acetaldehyde, which smells pungent, ethereal. The science ↓
Oatmeal Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a sharp oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, mix the oatmeal, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
Rub the lard into the oatmeal and flour mixture.
Add enough cold water to form a workable dough.
Shape and bake
Weigh off 8 oz portions and shape the portions.
Roll out to your desired size and cut into four pieces.
Place on clean, dry baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden.
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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Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Medium oatmeal
- Forms the bulk of the cake and gives it its hearty, grainy texture.
- Lard
- Rubbed into the dry mix to add fat, tenderness and a short, crumbly texture.
- Flour
- Adds structure so the dough holds together when rolled and cut.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in cream of tartar to lift the cakes and aid browning.
- Cream of tartar
- Provides acidity that activates the baking soda for rising.
The step that matters
Add cold water gradually. Adding water until the dough just comes together keeps it workable; too much water makes it sticky and dense, while too little leaves it dry and crumbly. Cold fat stays in small pieces, helping the cakes stay tender.
“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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