Sensory Evaluation of Low Calorie Eggless Functional Cake

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to prepare and evaluate a formulated functional eggless cake using key ingredients to incorporate nutritional value. The functional ingredients that were added to develop the batter were selected as prebiotic, probiotic, and stevia leaf powder. The aim of the study was to substitute the sugar content with a natural sweetener and to reduce the browning effect upon baking, followed by achieving a properly baked finished product with desirable sensory qualities. The shelf life study of the finished products was evaluated with respect to quality parameters, such as taste, color, flavor, texture, and visual microbial growth in different packaging materials. Various trials were made with less oil content, varying prebiotic and probiotic concentrations, and using percentage variations of stevia. The reduced oil percentage was done with the objective of developing a low-calorie cake that would provide health benefits for baked products. The food safety aspects in relation to chemical safety were also considered when using low oil percentage. All proximate analysis and antioxidant analysis were performed for functional baked products. The low-calorie developed product was evaluated with respect to some instrumental as well as sensory characteristics along with microbial analysis. Statistical analysis with respect to sensory qualities among different age groups was also evaluated using the Tuckey test (honestly significant difference test), which works in conjunction with ANOVA. A normality test was also performed to understand the p-value correlating the hypothesis to confirm.