Physicochemical, textural, nutritional and sensory properties of sponge cake enriched with pumpkin powder during storage

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of enrichment of sponge cake with pumpkin powder (0, 4, 8 & 12%) on the physicochemical, textural, nutritional and sensory properties of the final product during storage. The results showed that while increase in the level of pumpkin powder promoted the moisture content of the sponge cake, storage time affected it negatively. The changes in peroxide value revealed that pumpkin powder improved the oxidative stability of the product so that the control sample had higher peroxide value than the treatments throughout the storage period. The results of image processing showed that addition of pumpkin powder into the formulation of sponge cake was concomitant with a decrease in lightness and an increase in redness, yellowness and browning index. It was also observed that the highest porosity was belonged to the sample containing 8% pumpkin powder. The instrumental texture analysis indicated that increase in the level of pumpkin powder increased the hardness, the force required to punch and the force required to cut the samples and decreased the cohesiveness and elasticity. The storage time almost had the same effects on the textural parameters as the pumpkin powder. The pumpkin powder improved the nutritional quality of sponge cake in terms of fiber, beta-carotene and potassium contents, which remained unaffected during storage. The sponge cakes enriched with pumpkin powder were more appreciated by consumers compared to the control sample; however, the sample containing 8% pumpkin powder received the highest sensory scores. In conclusion, pumpkin powder could be used for the development of a functional sponge cake with desirable sensory properties and long shelf life.