Influence of Hydrocolloids on Batter Properties and Textural Kinetics of Sponge Cake during Storage

The influence of hydrocolloids, including hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), xanthan gum (XG) and sodium alginate (AG) at 0.5 and 1.0% (w/w, based on the wheat flour), on batter properties and textural kinetics of sponge cake during storage was studied. It was found that the addition of XG and AG dose-dependently increased the batter density and the viscosity of all the samples and also decreased the cake specific volume but increased the crumb moisture. The firmness change of sponge cake at different storage temperatures followed a first-order kinetic reaction, where the activation energy (Ea) decreased in the following order: HPMC > AG > XG, which is in contrast to the firmness change rate constant (k). Addition of 0.5% (w/w) HPMC gave the lowest k (0.1156 day−1) and highest Ea (11.23 kJ/mol) values, reflecting its better firmness retarding property. However, the use of HPMC at 1.0% (w/w) gave an adverse effect. Practical Applications Convenient baked snack foods, such as sponge cakes, are in increasing demand as a result of the changing lifestyles and economics of the global populations. However, the quality of sponge cakes changes (deteriorate) during storage. This study evaluated the use of three different hydrocolloids as potential firmness retarding agents during cake storage. Kinetics measurements were the key parameter used to describe the rate of reaction. Hydrocolloids that help to improve the texture of sponge cake are of a significant interest in the baked goods industry, and such archived research will benefit the industrial cake production for better distribution and marketing of these products.