Effect of mixing methods on physicochemical properties of batter and quality characteristics of sponge cake

In this study three different methods of batter making including sugar-batter, flour-batter and all-in processes were studied. The effect of mixing method on batter physicochemical properties such as specific gravity and consistency, quality properties of product such as moisture, water activity, apparent density, volume, specific volume, symmetry and uniformity, texture, color and also sensory properties 1 and 5 days after production was evaluated. Results showed that all-in method leads to higher specific gravity and consistency values in batter and a darker color compared to other methods. Samples prepared by sugar-batter method had higher (P<0.05) water activity, volume and symmetry values. Samples produced by sugar-batter and flour-batter methods had similar moisture content, whereas all-in method produced cakes with a lower moisture content (P<0.05). Instrumental measurement of texture showed that cakes produced by sugar-batter method had the softest (P<0.05) texture at the first day of evaluation. There were no significant differences between cakes prepared by flour-batter and all-in methods. In the 10th day of texture evaluation sugar-batter cakes showed the softest texture; but flour-batter cakes had the harder texture in comparison with sugar-batter cakes. Samples prepared by all-in-one method had the hardest texture. There were no significant differences between three methods in apparent density, specific volume and uniformity of cakes. Sensory evaluation showed that sugar batter cakes gave the most acceptability values.