Effect of storage on cupcakes containing rice-cassava flour and xanthan gum as egg replacer

Abstract

Egg is a basic ingredient in cake formulations and, at the same time, one of the most important food allergens, which has led to increasing research on egg substitutes in this type of products. Within this line of research, cake staling is an important quality attribute that must be considered when egg is replaced in the formulation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of 10 days of storage on the physical characteristics of cupcakes containing rice-cassava flour blend and xantham gum as egg substitute (HA) compared with a control cupcake (H). The study was conducted at the Department of Food Technology of the University of Costa Rica. A randomized complete block design with two-factor factorial arrangement was used, where the factors were formulation and time. Water activity (aw ), moisture content and specific volume were measured. In addition, instrumental color (L*, C* ̈, h°) and instrumental texture profile (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness) were evaluated. Three experimental replications were carried out, data were analyzed by ANOVA, and each variable was plotted as a function of storage time. It was concluded that most of the results agree with those reported by other researchers, except for the stable specific volume observed in both cakes during storage and an increase of springiness of the HA cupcakes over time, which contrasts with theory.