Influence of pumpkin seed powder on the characteristic properties of whole wheat cake

Abstract

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibers, and minerals. It can be used as a food supplement as the nutritional value of the seeds is relatively high. This study incorporates PSP (pumpkin seed powder) in varying amounts (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) in cake samples. Afterward, their effects on physicochemical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical characteristics were observed. Adding PSP to the cake recipe significantly increased the porosity of the cake by only up to 10% PSP incorporation. The PSP improved the hardness and other textural properties of the cake samples. Also, we can deduce that the water retention capacity of the cake samples increased with the addition of PSP, which increased the moisture content of the cake samples. From the results, we can observe that the browning of the cake increased with the incorporation of PSP in the cake samples. From all the characteristics, we can conclude that the cake sample with 10% PSP had the best texture. This means that PSP can be incorporated into cake samples only up to 10% without compromising the texture and taste.