THESIS

6. Low glycemic butter cake products
6.1 Butter cakes production and function of ingredients
Cake is a food well linked by consumers all over the world. According to
Thai farmer research center, (2007) the snack cake category of the baking industry
represents approximately a 7,100 million Bath and the trend are growing in Thailand.
This is due to consumers’ increased demand for goods that can be consumed with
little or no home preparation. Although the production of bake goods, most notably
cakes, is considered by many to be an art, it is also a product of science. Therefore, it
is extremely important for those developing new cakes to understand each different
ingredient and its purpose in the mixture of the product (Goldstein, 2001).
6.1.1 Optimal cake characteristics
A high-quality cake has a high-specific volume and is symmetrical.
The top of a layer cake needs to be flat for stacking (Penfield and Campbell, 1990f).
The crumb of a high-quality cake is moist, elastic, has a fine grain, cells of uniform
size, and thin cell walls. Crusts should be thin and tender (Bennion, 1995b).
6.1.2 Function of cake ingredients
The main ingredients used in cake formulations are flour, sugar, fat,
eggs, liquid, and leavening agents. Flavoring ingredients such as salt, vanilla, spices,
coloring agents, etc. are also used in small amounts (Penfield and Campbell, 1990f).
Each ingredient has its own function in cakes, and if slightly changed will alter final
cake quality. Therefore, a proper balance of ingredients needs to be obtained to
produce consistent high-quality cakes.
1) Flour
The main structure of cakes is composed of flour. Flour also binds
and absorbs moisture from the mixture (Goldstein, 2001). Different types of flour
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