Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Real Plantation Johnny Cake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a steady oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
Make and bake
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, sugar, eggs, lard or butter, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
Add enough buttermilk or sweet milk to create a thick batter.
Grease your baking pan well and pour the batter into it.
Bake for at least 5 hours.
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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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,973 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Cream + buttermilktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together674 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cornmeal
- Forms the main body of the cake, giving it its structure and grainy texture.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as they set during baking.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in the cream of tartar and buttermilk to help the cake rise.
- Cream of tartar
- Provides acidity that works with baking soda to produce gas for lift.
- Lard or butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and a rich flavor.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust brown during baking.
The step that matters
Bake for at least 5 hours. Cornmeal batter needs long, gentle baking at low heat so the center sets fully and the cake dries without scorching the outside. Checking doneness is important because underbaking leaves the middle wet and dense.
“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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