Effects of Level and Particle Size of Date Fruit Press Cake on Batter Rheological Properties and Physical and Nutritional Properties of Cake

Date Press Cake (DPC) is a by-product of date fruit juicing, which has remained mostly underutilized in food products. The main objective of this research was to investigate the viability of adding DPC in cake formulation. Thus, different levels (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%) and particle sizes (210 μm= DPC210 and 500 μm= DPC500) of DPC were used in cake formulation. The results showed that DPC had higher fiber, ash, and fat content than cake flour. Increasing the level and reducing the particle size of DPC increased batter consistency, firmness, stickiness, cohesiveness and viscosity. Inclusion of DPC increased cake density, reduced pH and crust moisture content, but these were not affected by DPC particle size. The samples became harder and less cohesive as the level of DPC increased. DPC210 resulted in softer and less cohesive cakes compared to the DPC500. Addition of DPC improved the antioxidant content of the cakes, particularly when DPC210 was added. Overall, the sample produced with 10% DPC210 had acceptable sensory characteristics.