Evaluation of the effect of fat replacer gel on physicochemical and rheological properties of low-calorie cake dough and texture

Cakes are one of the products in which fat substitutes can be used to reduce calories. Fat replacer Gel (FRG) is a compound that has the same functional properties, stability, physical and chemical properties as fats, but produces fewer calories per gram than fats. The fat replacement gel is composed of a combination of fat, fat substitute premix (FRP) and water. Fat replacer premix containing WPC, maltodextrin and inulin, and different concentrations of premix were used in the cake batter. The response surface statistical method was used to optimize the formulation and the dough viscosity and cake hardness were used to evaluate the model and select the optimal formula. Under optimal conditions, the results of dough viscosity, specific dough density, cake volume and sensory evaluation were evaluated using SPSS software. The variables of water, FRP and fat were linearly and quadratically affected by dough viscosity and hardness, respectively. Interaction was observed between water and FRP and there was no significant difference between dough viscosity and measured and predicted hardness. Optimal production conditions were determined as 70.42% water, 1.50% FRP and 10.28% fat. Some physical and chemical properties of dough and cake were compared with the control sample under optimal conditions. The results showed that the viscosity and specific density of the optimal dough were higher than the control. The optimal cake volume and moisture content was higher compared to the control sample. There was no significant difference between control and optimal cake in terms of hardness and color and sensory evaluation. The results showed using fat replacer gel (FRG) as a fat substitute can reduce the amount of fat by about 76% of its initial amount, without causing undesirable quality changes in the final product.