Application of chestnut flour and date syrup as substitutes for wheat flour and sugar in functional sponge cake formulations

Department of Tourism and Culinary Management, University of Food Technologies, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria

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Abstract

Excessive consumption of refined wheat flour and white sugar is linked to health risks, motivating the search for functional alternatives with improved nutritional profiles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of partially replacing wheat flour with chestnut flour and white sugar with date syrup on the quality and nutritional value of sponge cakes. The results show that moderate substitution (25%) doesn’t have a significant negative impact on the quality of the finished products. Sensory analysis showed that the samples with 25% chestnut flour or date syrup were similar in appearance, sweetness, and overall acceptability to the traditional product. At 50% substitution, however, lower scores were recorded for shape, texture, and color, especially for the variant with date syrup (overly dark crust) and with chestnut flour (more compact, dry crumb). The microbiological analysis detected no pathogenic bacteria and indicated a similar shelf-life for the new formulations and the control up to 6 days of storage. Therefore, partial replacement of wheat flour and sugar with the functional ingredients chestnut flour and date syrup up to 25% is feasible without significant loss of sponge cake quality, while achieving an improved nutritional profile.