Effect of date syrup as a sugar replacement on the rheological and physical properties of sponge cake

In present study the effect of date syrup as a replacement for sugar on the rheological, physical and sensory properties of sponge cake was investigated. Sucrose was replaced by date syrup at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% incorporation levels in cakes and evaluated for the consistency and pH of batter, moisture, volume, texture, color properties and sensory characteristic of cakes. It was found that date syrup replacement caused an increase in batter consistency. As date syrup level increased moisture content increased. Sucrose substitution with date syrup in dough formulations affected volume of cakes and caused a decrease due to an increase in consistency and reduction in pH values of batters. Results showed that there is a clear evidence of sucrose substitution on improvement of cake texture, as date syrup level increased, cake hardness decreased. Date syrup had a significant effect on color properties of cakes, with increasing date syrup level in cakes the L values (lightness) for cake crust and crumb decreased and cakes got darker. According to the sensory evaluation and physical properties results cake with 40% date syrup reported as the most favorable formulation.