Why Use a Recipe When You Could Use a Ratio?

I’d rather use a ratio than a recipe. Using a numerical formula means you can scale up or scale down as needed, but it also frees you from having to constantly reference the recipe.

One of our most popular Ratio Recipes is the 1-2-3-4 Yogurt Cake we learned to make in France. It’s so simple, French children often learn to bake this cake using yogurt containers, rather than measuring cups. Grab a 4-oz and 5.3-oz container of plain whole milk yogurt. Empty the yogurt into a mixing bowl, then use the container to measure 1 portion of oil, 2 portions of sugar and 3 portions of flour. How many eggs do you need? That’s where the “4” comes in. This cake is great for doctoring with extracts and zest, so have fun making it your own (or letting you children experiment, if you have some of those).

On the savory side, I just made our Crisp-Skinned Chicken Thighs with 1-1-1 Sauce. Chris learned this common izakaya preparation in a tiny restaurant in Osaka. It’s easy to make and easy to remember. Combine equal parts soy sauce, sake and mirin. A couple tablespoons of brown sugar can be used to sweeten, but you also can flavor it with ginger and/or garlic if you desire. Use half as a marinade, then brush on the rest while broiling or grilling. The skin crisps, the glaze caramelizes, and you get layers of savory-sweet flavor, no real recipe required. I’ve also used the sauce on salmon to great results.

Then there are my favorite Scalloped Potatoes, which rely on a simple ratio of 1 cup of cream for every pound of potatoes, so you can make a little or a lot (using up to 3 pounds or potatoes, which will feed 12). Want to add some cheese on top? You’ll need 1 ounce. Need to favor the cream? That will take exactly 1 bay leaf.

But the formula that really changed the way I baked was the one we use for our 1-2-3 Vanilla Frosting (which is superb on our Yellow Blender Cake). This 1-2-3 formula—1 cup cream, 2 sticks butter and 3 cups powdered sugar—is similar to traditional buttercream recipes, but the cream, beaten in at the end, yields a more elegant frosting with a lighter flavor and fluffier, more supple texture. This is my go-to birthday cake frosting; it has never failed me. The chocolate variation is my favorite, but you can tweak it to your liking with almond extract (or any other extract) and/or citrus zest.

What’s a ratio you come back to time and time again? Beyond those listed above, my favorite ratio has to be a Negroni—1 part gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part sweet vermouth (or Punt e Mes).

Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.

And if you're looking for more Milk Street, check out our livestream cooking classes with our favorite chefs, home cooks and friends for global recipes, cooking methods and more.

Claire Lower

Claire Lower is the Digital Editor for Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, with over a decade of experience as a food writer and recipe developer. Claire began writing about food (and drinks) during the blogging boom in the late 2000s, eventually leaving her job as a lab technician to pursue writing full-time. After freelancing for publications such as Serious Eats, Yahoo Food, xoJane and Cherry Bombe Magazine, she eventually landed at Lifehacker, where she served as the Senior Food Editor for nearly eight years. Claire lives in Portland, Oregon with a very friendly dog and very mean cat. When not in the kitchen (or at her laptop), you can find her deadlifting at the gym, fly fishing or trying to master figure drawing at her local art studio.