The effect of the addition of whey protein as a substitute for wheat in the development of cakes with no added sugar

Abstract Whey protein (WP) is a product of cheese making which has high nutritional value and functional attributes. Its use in bakery goods favours the physical aspects as well as the emulsion and stabilization capacity and improves the sensory characteristics. The aim of this study was to replace wheat by whey protein in sugar free cakes and evaluate their physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. The effect of adding whey protein and margarine on cakes were evaluated using a second order central compound rotational design. The selected treatments were evaluated by means of a sensory analysis and characterized according to their proximate composition and a microbiological evaluation after fifteen days of storage. The addition of up to 11.98 g of margarine per 100 g had an important influence on the reduction in cake height. The treatment with an intermediate WP content (30 g/100 g) and a lower margarine content (6.72 g/100 g) showed better acceptability and a higher protein content when compared to the control cake. The microbiological conditions were satisfactory, conforming to current legislation, even after fifteen days of storage.