Optimization of Baking of Rice Cakes in Infrared–Microwave Combination Oven by Response Surface Methodology

In this study, response surface methodology was used to design gluten-free cakes made from rice flour to be baked in infrared-microwave combination oven. Two types of cake formulations containing different types of gums were used in the experiments, which were xanthan gum and xanthan–guar gum blend. The independent variables were emulsifier content (0, 3, and 6% of flour weight), upper halogen lamp power (50, 60, and 70%), and baking time (7, 7.5, and 8 min). Specific volume, surface color change, firmness and weight loss of the cakes were determined for optimization. Cakes formulated with xanthan gum had better quality characteristics than cakes containing xanthan–guar gum blend. Cakes formulated with xanthan gum and 5.28% emulsifier and baked using 60% halogen lamp power for 7 min had the most acceptable quality.     

Effect of oven temperature profile and different baking conditions on final cake quality

This study discusses the effect of airflow on oven temperature profiles, the internal cake temperature and the final cake quality. It was found that the presence of airflow reduced the oscillation in the oven temperature profile from 12.98–30.27% to 3.17–4.02%. The bottom of the oven chamber experienced the greatest reduction in temperature oscillation in the presence of airflow. During the second stage of baking with airflow, the heating rate was increased from 5.07 to 7.52 °C min^?1 and 8.35 °C min^?1 to the increase of the baking temperature from 160 to 170 °C and 180 °C, respectively. The cake volume expansion rate was also increased 5–10% during second stage when baking with airflow condition. The cakes baked in the presence of airflow had a more porous crumb texture and lower moisture content compared to the cakes baked without airflow.     

Optimization of microwave baking of model layer cakes

 Response surface methodology was used to optimize the formulation of microwave-baked cakes. The independent variables were water content, emulsifier content baking time, oven power, shortening content and starch type. The quality factors evaluated were specific gravity of batter and volume index, uniformity index and tenderness of the crumb. Constraints for quality factors were obtained by conventional baking of American Association of Cereal Chemists high-ratio cake formulation. Multiple contour plots showed the optimum region for various water and shortening combinations at different emulsifier, time and power levels. Cakes formulated with wheat starch, containing 0.3% polysorbate 60, 133.7% water and 45.2% shortening (flour substitute basis), baked for 6 min at 100% power yielded acceptable cakes that can compete with conventionally baked cakes. Rice and corn cakes had lower quality than conventionally baked high-ratio cakes. Power was found to be the most efficient independent variable affecting all the dependent variables. Received: 26 August 1999 / Revised version: 11 October 1999     

The effect of par‐baking and frozen storage time on the quality of cup cake

The effects of frozen storage and initial baking time of par‐baked cake on baking loss, volume, moisture, colour and textural properties of cake obtained after thawing and rebaking were investigated. Cakes, par‐baked at 175 °C for 15, 20 and 25 min, were stored at ?18 °C for 3, 6 and 9 months. After storage, par‐baked cakes were thawed and rebaked at 175 °C for 10, 15 and 20 min. Baking loss, moisture content, L and +b colour values, firmness, gumminess and chewiness of the resulting full‐baked cakes were significantly affected by both par‐baking and frozen storage time, while specific volume, cohesiveness, springiness and resilience values were significantly affected by frozen storage time. The increase in the time of frozen storage of the par‐baked cake leads to a decrease in the quality of the rebaked cake, namely an increase of baking loss and cake crumb firmness, and a loss in the moisture content and specific volume. Moisture of cake crumb, L and +b colour values, firmness, gumminess and chewiness significantly increased as the par‐baking time increased. However, regarding baking loss, specific volume, moisture content and textural properties, 3‐month intermediate storage at ?18 °C and 20‐min initial baking time gave the best result among the cakes produced by using the two‐step baking procedure.     

EFFECTS OF BAKING PARAMETERS ON THE WHITE LAYER CAKE QUALITY BY COMBINED USE OF CONVENTIONAL AND MICROWAVE OVENS

The effects of combined conventional and microwave oven baked white layer cake characteristics were studied. Two types of commercially milled wheat flour, white (A) and whole wheat (B), were used. The modified white layer cake making method was used for conducting the cake baking trials. The conventional baking times (8 or 11 min), microwave power (400 or 600 W) and microwave baking time (30, 40, or 50 s) were chosen as baking parameters. Conventional baking was applied to form the cake crust before baking with the microwave oven used to form the crumb of the cakes. The performance of combination baking was compared with the performance of conventional baking. The volume, bake loss, internal factors, and crust color of cakes were evaluated as quality characteristics. The bake losses of cakes using the combination of short oven times and low microwave power for selected microwave times were smaller than the bake losses of the control cakes for both flours. Long oven times and low microwave power increased the specific volume of cakes. Cakes baked from flours A and B exhibited similar internal properties. Oven time significantly affected the crust color of cakes made with flour A. The crust color of cakes made with flour B was similar to the crust color of control cakes. Using a combination of conventional and microwave baking produces cakes with qualities equivalent to the qualities of cakes produced with conventional baking.     

Baking High-Ratio White Layer Cakes with Microwave Energy

Microwave energy was evaluated as a means of baking high-ratio white-layer cakes by considering the effects of various processing conditions and amounts of ingredients. Minimal water in cakes baked with microwave energy did not result in surface collapse as with cakes baked by conventional means. As the amount of monocalcium phosphate monohydrate in the baking powder blend was increased, volume and specific volume decreased and crumb firmness and internal score increased. There was no evidence of any significant internal nor surface batter flow in the conventional cake, while in the microwave cake considerable batter flow was observed on the surface and internally in the upper central regions of the cake. Scanning electron micrograph showed differences in cell structure between both types of cake. The cells in the center of the cake baked with microwave energy were more irregular and had thicker cell walls than the conventional cake.     

Impact of the Baking Duration on Bread Staling Kinetics

This paper presents a study on the impact of the duration of the baking plateau on staling kinetics in the case of bread crumb made of sourdough; it follows Le-Bail et al. Journal of Cereal Science 50:235–240, (2009)a previous study proposed by Le-Bail et al. Journal of Cereal Science 50:235–240, (2009) on the impact of heating rate during baking on staling parameters. Degassed bread dough was baked in a miniaturized baking system with baking plateau of 0, 4, and 8 min at 98 °C corresponding to a total baking time of 10, 14 and 18 min respectively (simulating from underbaked to fully baked bread). Results showed that longer baking time resulted in the higher Young’s modulus of the baked dough at the end of staling was. It was observed as in Le-Bail et al. Journal of Cereal Science 50:235–240, (2009) that the crystallization of amylopectin occurred a few days before the hardening of the baked crumb during staling. The amount of freezable water decreased during staling (over 10 days period), which was in agreement with the increase in amylopectin crystallites during staling which trap water. The amount of soluble amylose increased with increasing duration of the baking plateau at 98 °C, indicating that for prolonged baking, an increasing amount of amylose is leached outside of the starch granules. This was proposed as an explanation for the higher Young’s modulus of the crumb at the end of staling.     

Use of applied air pressure to improve the baking properties of whey protein isolates in angel food cakes

Whey protein isolate (WPI) possesses limited application in angel food cake baking compared to liquid egg white (LEW). This study was conducted to determine whether applying air pressure in the oven during baking would improve the baking properties of WPI in angel food cakes. A special oven was designed for baking at oven air pressures up to 1.5 bar. Control angel food cakes were formulated with LEW (100/0) as its protein source and WPI-containing cakes were formulated with a mixture of 75 mL/100 mL LEW and 25 mL/100 mL WPI solution (75/25) or a mixture of 50 mL/100 mL LEW and 50 mL/100 mL WPI solution (50/50). Cakes were baked at atmospheric air pressure (AP) and at constant applied air pressure (CAP) or variable applied air pressure vs. baking time (VAP) to prevent overexpansion and collapse of WPI-containing cake batter. Cakes 75/25 and 50/50 baked at VAP exhibited improved physical, textural and sensory properties compared to those baked at AP or CAP conditions. Cakes 75/25 baked at VAP compared well with control angel food cakes baked at AP. Although 50/50 cakes baked at VAP were improved slightly over those baked at AP, none of them exhibited satisfactory properties. Therefore, additional research is needed to optimize baking conditions for cakes formulated with less than 75 mL/100 mL LEW.     

Effect of the Addition of Different Dietary Fiber and Edible Cereal Bran Sources on the Baking and Sensory Characteristics of Cupcakes

The effect of successively replacing (10%, 20%, and 30%) wheat flour with dietary fiber (DF) from wheat, oat, barley, and maize or cereal bran (CB) from wheat, oat, and rice on cake batter, final cake quality parameters, as well as on product shelf-life was studied. Batter viscosity (control, 2.96; wheat fiber 30%, 20.21; rice bran 10%, 0.47 Pa sⁿ), cake-specific volume (control, 2.27; wheat fiber 20%, 2.83; rice bran 30%, 1.94 cm³/g), porosity (control, 0.75; wheat fiber 30%, 0.81; rice bran 30%, 0.69), and crumb moisture content (control, 20.07%,; wheat fiber 30%, 26.45%; oat bran 30%, 13.89%) increased significantly (P < 0.05) with DF addition but decreased with CB addition. Addition of DF resulted in softer crumb texture (Control, 4.20 N; wheat fiber 20%, 3.19 N), while CB addition increased crumb firmness (rice bran 30%, 10.84 N), respectively. Minor differences were observed in the crumb and crust color of the DF cakes with respect to the control. Addition of CB decreased the L values of crumb color significantly and the decrease increased with increased level of CB incorporation. DF addition led to cakes with greater acceptance by panelists than CB addition, similar to the control. DF cakes stored in polyethylene bags at 25 °C and 60% relative humidity for 6 days showed delayed moisture loss and lower firmness compared to CB cakes. The optimal level of incorporation based both on the objective and sensory characteristics results was found 20% for DF and 10% for CB, respectively. Concluding, by incorporating DF or CB properly, cakes with improved nutritional value can be manufactured.     

Effects of Microwave/Convection Baking and Pan Characteristics on Cake Quality

The quality of devil's food cake baked in a microwave/convection oven using different oven conditions and pan characteristics was assessed by sensory and objective methods. The most important factors were the number of layers baked at a given time and the baking pan characteristics, followed by initial oven temperatures. Crust color, moistness and cake symmetry were affected by these conditions. For example, single layers received a lower sensory score and had sticky and less red crusts than double layers. Cakes baked in glass-polyester microware pans were peaked, whereas those baked in aluminum pans were flat. Although slight differences in quality were found by both sensory and objective evaluations, all cakes were acceptable.     

Structural development of sucrose‐sweetened and sucrose‐free sponge cakes during baking

The influence of sucrose, wheat starch and sorbitol upon the heat‐ and mass‐exchanging processes forming the structure of sponge cake was studied. Under the influence of wheat starch and sorbitol the structure of the sucrose‐free sponge cake was formed at more uniform total moisture release. This process was done at lower temperatures and smoother change of the sponge cake height with respect to the sucrose‐sweetened sponge cake. The porous and steady structure of both cakes was finally formed at identical time – between 18^th and 19^th minute, at the applied conditions for baking of each batter (metal pan with diameter 15.4 cm and depth 6.2 cm containing 300 g of batter and placed in an electric oven “Rahovetz – 02”, Bulgaria for 30 min at 180°C). The water‐losses at the end of baking (10.30% and 10.40% for the sucrose‐sweetened cake and sucrose‐free cake, respectively) and the final temperatures reached in the crumb central layers (96.6°C and 96.3°C for the sucrose‐sweetened cake and sucrose‐free cake, respectively) during baking of both samples were not statistically different. The addition of wheat starch and sorbitol in sucrose‐free sponge cake lead to the statistically different values for the porosity (76.15% and 72.98%) and the volume (1014.17 cm³ and 984.25 cm³) of the sucrose‐sweetened and sucrose‐free sponge cakes, respectively. As a result, the sucrose‐free sponge cake formed during baking had a more homogeneous and finer microstructure with respect to that of the sucrose‐sweetened one.     

Relative importance of moisture migration and amylopectin retrogradation for pound cake crumb firming

Moisture migration largely impacts cake crumb firmness during storage at ambient temperature. To study the importance of phenomena other than crumb to crust moisture migration and to exclude moisture and temperature gradients during baking, crustless cakes were baked using an electrical resistance oven (ERO). Cake crumb firming was evaluated by texture analysis. First, ERO cakes with properties similar to those baked conventionally were produced. Cake batter moisture content (MC) was adjusted to ensure complete starch gelatinisation in the baking process. In cakes baked conventionally, most of the increase in crumb firmness during storage was caused by moisture migration. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) showed that the population containing protons of crystalline starch grew during cake storage. These and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data pointed to only limited amylopectin retrogradation. The limited increase in amylopectin retrogradation during cake storage cannot solely account for the significant firming of ERO cakes and, hence, other phenomena are involved in cake firming.     

Comparison of crumb microstructure from pound cakes baked in a microwave or conventional oven

Imaging, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare the microstructure of crumbs from pound cakes baked in a microwave or conventional oven. The microwave baking conditions for pound cake (240 W, 5 min) were established in previous research, conventional baked pound cakes were obtained using a swing oven at 180 °C for 40 min. Statistical differences in total cell, cell/cm² and mean cell area (P?0.05) were observed in the image analysis. Cells from microwaved pound cake crumbs were 20% larger. However, factor shape was 0.81 for both microwave and conventionally baked crumbs, and crumbs from both oven types were similar in appearance. Light microscopy revealed birefringence in crumbs from both types of pound cakes. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the conventionally baked product had a greater amount of protein matrix however; the matrix structure of the crumb was comparable between microwave-baked and conventionally baked pound cakes. In conclusion, our results suggest that the unique aspects of pound cake dough, including its high content of fat, sugar and moisture, make it well suited to microwave baking.     

Effect of batter freezing conditions and resting time on cake quality

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of batter freezing and conditions and resting time before baking on quality of two kinds of cakes (layer and sponge cakes), including freezing temperature (−18 °C, −26 °C), storage time at sub-zero temperatures (30 and 100 days), and resting time (60 and 120 min). Characteristics of the batter (pH, density, viscosity, and microstructure) and cakes (density, texture, and colour) were analysed. Freezing process increases batter density and viscosity, and consequently decreases cake volume and height, but increases hardness. Cakes from frozen batters have a darker and more yellow crumb and lighter-coloured crust than cakes from non-frozen batters. Freezing process has a greater effect on batter and cake quality characteristics than storage/freezing conditions or resting time. In layer cakes, freezing mainly affected volume and colour, whilst in sponge cakes, there was a more marked effect on texture. Differences between the two kinds of cake could be related to a distinct internal structure. Resting time mainly affected batter characteristics, although there were no apparent differences in the quality of the cakes obtained.     

Preservation of Cocoa Antioxidant Activity, Total Polyphenols, Flavan-3-ols, and Procyanidin Content in Foods Prepared with Cocoa Powder

ABSTRACT:  Little is known about the effects of common cooking processes on cocoa flavanols. Antioxidant activity, total polyphenols (TP), flavanol monomers, and procyanidin oligomers were determined in chocolate frosting, a hot cocoa drink, chocolate cookies, and chocolate cake made with natural cocoa powder. Recoveries of antioxidant activity, TP, flavanol monomers, and procyanidins ranged from 86% to over 100% in the chocolate frosting, hot cocoa drink, and chocolate cookies. Losses were greatest in the chocolate cake with recoveries ranging from 5% for epicatechin to 54% for antioxidant activity. The causes of losses in baked chocolate cakes were investigated by exchanging baking soda with baking powder or combinations of the 2 leavening agents. Use of baking soda as a leavening agent was associated with increased pH and darkening color of cakes. Losses of antioxidant activity, TP, flavanol monomers, and procyanidins were associated with an increased extractable pH of the baked cakes. Chocolate cakes made with baking powder for leavening resulted in an average extractable pH of 6.2 with essentially complete retention of antioxidant activity and flavanol content, but with reduced cake heights and lighter cake color. Commercially available chocolate cake mixes had final pHs above 8.3 and contained no detectable monomeric flavanols after baking. These results suggest that baking soda causes an increase in pH and subsequent destruction of flavanol compounds and antioxidant activity. Use of an appropriate leavening agent to moderate the final cake pH to approximately 7.25 or less results in both good leavening and preservation of cocoa flavanols and procyanidins.     

Quality and textural behaviour of par-baked and rebaked cake during prolonged storage

The effect of par-baking and refrigerator storage on the quality of cake was investigated. Quality evaluation of rebaked cakes was performed by using physical, chemical and instrumental texture profile analysis. Cakes were par-baked for 15, 20 and 25 min at 175 °C and then they were stored at refrigerator temperature (4 °C) for 30, 60 and 90 days, wrapped with two polyethylene bags. After storage, par-baked cakes were rebaked at 175 °C and were subjected to analysis. Par-baking and intermediate storage time had a significant effect on baking loss, crumb moisture content, colour, symmetry index and textural properties of cake. The increase in the par-baking time led to a decrease in the baking loss and an increase in the moisture content of cake. Specific volume, moisture content, L colour value and symmetry index significantly decreased with increasing intermediate storage time, while baking loss significantly increased. However, regarding the crumb hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness, the results indicated that the best result was obtained when cakes were baked for 15 min at the par-baking stage. Overall, the cakes became firmer, less cohesive and less dry crumb as the intermediate storage time increased, whereas springiness increased.     

Cake Baking in Conventional, Impingement and Hybrid Ovens

White layer cakes were baked in three types of air impingement ovens, a hybrid (microwave/air impingement) oven, and a reel oven. Cakes were evaluated based on volume, crust color, and texture. Oven heat transfer rates were measured directly, and ranged from 22.8 to 84.8 J/s m²C° for top and from 17.4 to 110.9 for bottom surfaces, exposed in the different ovens, with the conventional reel oven having the lowest values. An RSM design was used to establish optimum baking conditions for each oven. For air impingement ovens, baking time was reduced by almost half but produced cakes very similar to those from the control (reel) oven. Incorporating microwaves enabled a further reduction in baking time, to one fourth. Cakes baked with microwaves had similar color, but had 15% less volumes and firmer textures than control cakes.     

Optimization of halogen lamp–microwave combination baking of cakes: a response surface methodology study

The main objective of this study was to optimize processing conditions during halogen lamp–microwave combination baking of cake by using response surface methodology. The independent variables were the power of the upper halogen lamp (50, 60, and 70%), the power of the lower halogen lamp (50, 60, and 70%), the power of the microwaves (30, 40, and 50%), and the baking time (4, 5, and 6 min). Weight loss, specific volume, color, and the texture profile of the cakes were determined. The upper halogen lamp power, the microwave power, and the baking time were found to have a significant effect on the weight loss, the specific volume, and the firmness of the cakes. Cakes baked for 5 min at 60% upper halogen lamp power, 70% lower halogen lamp power, and 30% microwave power had quality comparable with conventionally baked ones, except for color. By the usage of a halogen lamp–microwave combination oven it was possible to obtain high-quality cakes by reducing the conventional baking time by about 79%.     

Comparison of pound cake baked in a two cycle microwave-toaster oven and in conventional oven

The industrial and domestic use of microwaves has increased considerably over the past few decades. New researches about the interaction of different ingredients with microwave energy, has provided insight that is helping to improve the quality of microwave-baked products. The aim of this work was to determine the best potency and baking time conditions for pound cake and apply the image analysis methodology to analyze the structure of pound cake baked in a two cycle microwave-toaster oven compared with a conventionally baked. Weight loss, density, water activity, moisture, luminosity and seven parameters of Image Analysis were measured as baking quality parameters. Optimal baking conditions for the two-cycle microwave-toaster oven were obtained using surface response analysis. The best baking conditions resulted in a low power for the first cycle (204 W for 120 s), a high power for the second cycle (937 W for 70 s), and a toasting time of 5:30 min at 200 °C. Image analysis showed a 7% reduction in the crumb cell number of the cake baked with microwaves as compared to the conventional. The two cycle microwave-toaster oven generated a product with a higher volume (11%) and higher luminosity (2%) than the conventional process. Both of them were equally preferred by consumers, scoring 4.6 (I like very much) in a hedonic sensory test.     

Monitoring the Effects of Ingredients and Baking Methods on Quality of Gluten-Free Cakes by Time-Domain (TD) NMR Relaxometry

Gluten-free products exhibit some undesirable features due to the absence of the gluten network. Effects of ingredient interactions and baking type on the food matrix have not clearly been explored. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ingredient and baking types on the quality characteristics of cake by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Carob bean flour containing gluten-free cakes formulated either with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or whey protein were baked in both conventional and microwave–infrared combination ovens. Specific gravity of batters was measured and cakes were analyzed in terms of weight loss, hardness, and specific volume. Microstructure of cakes was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). NMR relaxometry was used to support the information about water retention, and water–food matrix interactions. Cakes baked in microwave–infrared (MW-IR) combination oven had some undesirable characteristics due to higher weight loss and insufficient gelatinization of starch which was supported by SEM results. Compartments of relaxation data also indicated two specific proton pools for MW-IR-baked samples, which represented gelatinized and ungelatinized parts of the cakes. Spin–spin relaxation times (T₂) were found to be good indicators for explaining the physical state and distribution of water inside the samples, having Pearson correlation of 0.96, 0.86, and ??0.98 (p?<?0.05) between monoexponential T₂ values and hardness, specific volume, and moisture, respectively.