Why it works: Apple and orange match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,230 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Apple Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Mash the boiled apples until smooth.
Make the pudding
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Add the beaten eggs, orange juice, and grated orange rind to the butter mixture.
Stir in the mashed apples and wine until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until set.
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.
-
Apple + orangetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,230 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Apple + winetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,207 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Butter + winetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Orange + winetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,046 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Apple + buttertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,706 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Apples
- Provide the bulk and moisture of the pudding, giving it a soft, tender body.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, creaming with sugar to create a tender texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pudding and helps cream the butter to trap air for a lighter crumb.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set on baking, giving the pudding its firm structure.
- Wine
- Adds moisture and a fruity, aromatic note that complements the apples.
The step that matters
Bake until set. Underbaking leaves the egg-thickened mixture loose and wet in the centre, while overbaking can make the eggs curdle and the texture dry and rubbery. Checking for a set centre at the stated time helps achieve a smooth, custard-like pudding.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (apple, butter, sugar, egg, wine):
- Pearfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Grapefits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against apple, butter, sugar, egg, wine. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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 apple pudding recipes
You might also like
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Orange Cream Rice Pudding121 recipes
Orange Gelatin100 recipes
Apple Cake80 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.