Optimisation of protein-enriched gluten-free layer cakes using a mixture design

The effect of different protein mixtures (pea, whey and egg white proteins) on the physical characteristics of batters and baked gluten-free layer cakes after substituting 45% of flour was evaluated. A mixture design approach was used to determine the interaction effects of the three proteins on the cakes physical characteristics. For batter density, two interactions were observed, and higher values were found for batters containing a mixture of 60-80% egg white and 20-40% whey than in batter containing only one of these proteins, or a pea content of 70-90% than in batter containing only pea. For batter viscosity, significant interactions between egg white and pea, and between whey and pea proteins were observed, which explains the gentler decrease in viscosity at higher egg white and/or whey protein ratios. Regarding hardness, an interaction between egg white and whey occurred, and increasing whey content helped to reduce hardness to a greater extent than increasing pea content.