The Effect of Various Types of Sugar on the Rise and Sensory Acceptability of Cake

1. The Effect of Various Types of Sugar on the Rise and Sensory Acceptability of Cake Trisha Garcia Krystle Dixon

2. Purpose of Experiment Replacement of white granulated sugar in cake with 3 different types of sugars to observe differences in texture, height, and taste. • Demerara • Corn syrup • Organic coconut palm

3. Background C12H22O11 Sugar is made from: • Sugarcane • Beets Effects of sugar on baked goods: • Stabilizer • Texture • Leavens • Color • Flavor

4. Hypothesis The cake prepared white granulated sugar (control) will have the largest rise, will be most tender, and will be the most acceptable compared to the cakes prepared with demerara, corn syrup, and coconut palm sugar.

5. Methods Prepared and baked 4 different cakes using the same basic yellow cake recipe. • One cake baked with white sugar (control) • Three cakes baked with either demerara sugar, corn syrup, or coconut palm sugar

6. White Sugar (Control) Ingredients: • 1 cup cake flour • 1 tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp salt • ¼ cup softened butter • ½ cup white granulated sugar • 1 ½ eggs at room temperature • 1 tsp vanilla • ¾ cup milk Preparation: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put parchment paper in a 20.5 cm round pan • Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and sift • Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until combined • Slowly add flour alternately with milk. Batter should be smooth. • Bake for 20-25 minutes. Leave 5 minutes in pan

7. Corn Syrup Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup unsalted, softened butter ½ cup corn syrup 1 ½ eggs at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla ½ cup milk Demerara Sugar Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ¼ cup softened butter ½ cup raw sugar 1 ½ eggs at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla ¾ cup milk Coconut Palm Sugar Ingredients: 1 cup, 2 tbsp cake flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt ½ cup softened butter ½ cup packed coconut palm sugar 2 eggs at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup milk

8. Coconut palm sugar White sugar (control) Demerara sugar Corn syrup

9. Objective testing • Toothpick and ruler: measure height • Penetrometer : measure tendrness

10. Subjective testing • Describe: Taste, Texture, Appearance, & Tendereness • Rate the acceptability: 1 being the worst – 4 being the best

11. results – Height of cakes • Control Cake (446) • Increase of 1.75 cm • 93.33% difference • Demerara Cake (947) • Increase of 1.67 cm • 71.52% difference

12. Height, Cont. • Corn Syrup Cake (205) • Increase of 2.08 cm • 90.83% difference • Coconut Palm Sugar Cake (017) • Increase of 0.67 cm • 36.51% difference

13. Results - Penetrometry • Control – 54.5 mm • Demerara Sugar – 65 mm • Corn Syrup – 48 mm • Coconut Palm Sugar – 57.5 mm

14. Findings – Rise and Tenderness • CS cake rose the most • Air into batter • CPS cake rose the least • Too much liquid? • RS cake the most tender • Absorption of liquid • Prevention of gluten production • CS cake the least tender • More moisture taken up by the sugar

15. Sensory Evaluation • 27 testers • Control cake rated as the most popular • Coconut Palm Sugar cake rated as least popular • Most all cakes evaluated as being moist and tender • CPS cake too dense and wet • Some thought CS cake chewy • RS and CPS cakes took on the color of the sugars used

16. Conclusions/Implications • Coconut Palm Sugar – mostly sucrose (some glucose, fructose) • Granulated sugar – sucrose • Demerara Sugar – mostly sucrose (some glucose, fructose) • Corn Syrup – glucose • Combinations of different types of sugars to improve cakes • Liquid vs. crystalline sugar • Largest rise = Corn syrup cake • Most tender = Demerara cake • Most acceptable = White sugar cake (control)

17. References • www.finecooking.com/articles/how-sugar-affects-baking.aspx • www.bakersjournal.com/content/view/967/38/ • http://www.sugar.org/images/docs/sugar-functional-roles.pdf