Quality Characteristics of Cake Produced with Blends of Flour from Bambara Nut Seeds (Vigna subterranea) and Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Abstract

Developing food products with functional and high nutritional potentials to engender promising solutions to malnutrition is a practical step in addressing SDG-3. This investigation was done to assess the quality of cakes produced with blends of flour from cassava and Bambara nuts seeds. High quality cassava flour (HQCF) and Bambara flour were prepared from cassava (IITA-TMS-IBA011368) and Bambara nut seeds (SAMNUT 21) as depicted by Design Expert Version 12 and subsequently used for baking. Analyses carried out on the cakes were sensory, physical, nutritional, microbiological and crumb cell properties. Statistical tools of Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS version 25) were employed in analyzing data generated, separation of significant means was done with the application of Duncan Multiple Range Tests. The cakes were not different in terms of color parameters (L*, a*) with values 8.88 to 9.82 and 0.70 to 8.88, respectively. The range of value for appearance, color, texture, taste, aroma and overall acceptability of the cake was 6.84-7.52, 7.04-7.52, 6.56-7.32, 6.72-7.56, 6.76-7.52 and 6.96-7.64; moisture, ash, fibre, fat, protein, carbohydrate and energy with range of value 15.56 to 19.69 %, 1.08 to 1.47 %, 1.29 to 3.04 %, 20.03 to 24.96 %, 5.89 to 8.61 %, 43.44 to 51.90 % and 414.09 to 451.66 Kcal/kg, respectively. Microbiological qualities of cakes are within the limits set by the ICMSF (1996) and the Standard Organization of Nigeria. Cakes of acceptable qualities were produced with composite flours prepared; the optimized ingredient blend formulation obtained was high quality cassava flour of 50% and Bambara nut flour 50% while the calculated desirability was 0.56.