Document Type : Original research

Authors

• Fakhreddin Salehi ¹
• Sepideh Vejdanivahid ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Food Industry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

² MSc Student, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Food Industry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

This study examined the impact of substituting rice flour with quinoa powder at varying proportions (0–100%) on the physicochemical, textural, and sensory attributes of gluten-free cakes. The cake batter exhibited pseudoplastic flow behavior, with viscosity increasing at higher substitution levels. Substitution with quinoa powder significantly increased cake weight and reduced baking loss (p<0.05). Furthermore, it exerted a significant effect on cake volume and density (p<0.05), with volume increasing from 11.4 to 20.3 cm³ and density decreasing from 975.9 to 639.3 kg/m³. Cakes formulated with higher levels of quinoa powder exhibited increased moisture (from 13.83% to 17.25%) and ash content (from 0.86% to 1.51%). The highest acidity (0.92%) and lowest pH (6.62) were recorded in the sample made with 100% quinoa powder. As the level of quinoa powder substitution increased, both the total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of the cakes showed a corresponding increase, with the sample containing 100% quinoa powder exhibiting the highest TPC (1222.5 µg GAE/g) and the lowest AC (91.64%). Replacing rice flour with quinoa powder significantly affected cake color indices, leading to reduced lightness and yellowness and increased redness in both crust and crumb. The protein content of the cakes also increased proportionally (up to 9.45% in the 100% quinoa). Quinoa powder substitution reduced crust hardness (from 0.54 to 0.28 N) and, up to a 50% level, maintained favorable sensory attributes. Quinoa powder substitution improved the textural properties of cakes by enhancing cohesiveness and springiness, while reducing firmness and chewiness.

Keywords

• Apparent viscosity
• Baking loss
• Color indices
• Protein
• Total phenolic content

Main Subjects

• Production formulation