Functionality of lipase and emulsifiers in low-fat cakes with inulin

•Low-fat cakes with inulin have a better structure when improvers are incorporated.•Addition of lipase and emulsifier at low concentrations improves crumb cell structure.•Low-fat cakes with inulin show lower hardness during storage when lipase is added.•Incorporation of emulsifier at high concentration results in collapsed cakes.

The functional effects of lipase (0.003 and 0.006 g/100 g of flour) and emulsifier (0.5 and 1 g/100 g of flour) on fat-replaced (0%, 50% and 70%) batters and cakes with inulin (0, 7.5 and 10 g/100 g/of flour, respectively) were studied. Emulsifier addition significantly lowered the relative density of the batter. Emulsifier incorporation increased the viscoelastic properties of the batter. In contrast, lipase incorporation decreased the degree of system structuring. The evolution of the dynamic moduli and complex viscosity with rising temperatures were studied. Batters with 1 g/100 g emulsifier displayed a significantly lower complex viscosity during heating, resulting in collapsed cakes. Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that the thermal setting in the control cakes occurred at higher temperatures, and accordingly, greater cake expansion was observed. Cakes with 0.003 g/100 g lipase or 0.5 g/100 g emulsifier displayed volume and crumb cell structure that were similar to those of control cakes. Higher concentrations of both improvers gave rise to cakes with lower volume, higher hardness and lower springiness. During storage time, cakes with lipase displayed lower hardness. Both improvers, at low concentrations, could improve certain physical characteristics, such as crumb structure, of fat-replaced cakes with inulin.