Baking powder

Abstract: The possibility of a total substitution of egg proteins in yellow cakes by vegetable proteins isolated from white lupine seeds was studied. The effects of several components on hardness, moisture content, volume, and shape characteristics of lupine-cakes were evaluated, using response surface methodology. Baking powder, soy lecithin, and mono- and diglycerides (MDG), were studied through a central composite rotatable experimental design and an optimization of the leavening agent proportion was achieved; however, an undesirable collapse of the cakes was observed. This problem was solved by the combined use of emulsifiers (MDG) and hydrocolloids (xanthan gum) in a second experimental design. Xanthan gum improved the internal structure of crumb, reducing shrinkage and increasing the cake height. Optimum contents for the lupine-gum-emulsifier system were: 2.2% baking powder, 4.5% MDG, and 0.55% xanthan gum, all relative to the total weight of flour and sugar.

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.

Abstract: The use of solvent-assisted flavor evaporation extraction (SAFE) and purge and trap in Tenax allowed the identification of more than 100 volatile compounds in a sponge cake (SC-e) Gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) of the SAFE extracts of crumb and crust were achieved in order to determine the most potent odorants of SC-e The change in the traditional dough formulation of SC-e in which eggs were substituted by baking powder (SC-b) as the leavening agent produced important changes in some key aroma compounds The release curves of some aroma compounds-some of them generated during baking and others added in the dough-were followed by cumulative headspace analysis In the flavored SC-b, the aroma release curves showed a plateau after 15 min of purge, while the release increased proportionally with the purge time in the flavored SC-e In general, except for some of the aroma compounds with the highest log P values, the rate of release of most of the added and generated aroma compounds was significantly influenced by the changes in the cake formulation The higher rates of release found for the aroma compounds in SC-b could contribute to explain its rapid exhaustion of aroma compounds in the purge and trap experiments and might lead to poorer sensorial characteristics of this cake during storage

Abstract: A snack food is prepared from an extrudable mixture, containing dehydrated potato, baking powder, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids and water, which is extruded as a flat sheet through a sheeting die with a narrow opening, cut into pieces of predetermined size and shape and baked, the composition of the dehydrated potato, the proportion of the baking powder, the size of the opening in the sheeting die, the cutting of the sheet and the temperature and time of baking being controlled to produce a shaped, hollow potato snack in which the sides are entirely enclosed, with the top and bottom being formed from the top and bottom of said cut sheet, and a cross section of said top and bottom being approximately one-half of the thickness of said cut sheet.