The Potential of Microalgal Powder in the Enhancement of Pysicoshemical and Sensory Properties of Cakes

Abstract

Cake is very popular bakery product, generally high calories due to high fat content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties, and consumer acceptance of butter cakes supplemented with two different concentrations of microalgae Scenedesmus powder (5% and 10%) as partial replacement for fat content used in cakes. Microalgae are a rich source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential amino acids and fatty acids. The mean water activity of the control butter cake prepared with 100% butter with a value of 0.94 was higher (p<0.05) than the butter cake containing microalgae powder. Addition of Scenedesmus powder imparts a green colour to the product. For the butter cakes with increased amount of microalgae powder, the L*- ,a*- and b*- value decreased significantly (P<0.05). The lowest (P<0.05) firmness were observed for the butter cake containing the highest concentration (10%) of Scendesmus. Consumer acceptance evaluated using a structured nine points hedonic scale found that 5% replacement of microalgae powder had the higher overall acceptability compare with 10%. Overall, Scenedesmus butter cake could be developed with comparable physicochemical qualities without sacrificing consumer acceptability.