Optimization of Spirulina-Enriched Vegan Cake Formulation Using Response Surface Methodology

Vegan lifestyle is gaining momentum across the globe due to its environmental effects and health benefits. In parallel with the increasing diet trends, the demand for vegan bakery products is increasing. Since vegan bakery products generally have low protein and bioactive compound content, they have little nutritional contribution to the daily diet of vegan individuals. In light of this, a study was conducted to develop a vegan cake formulation enriched with Spirulina to improve the physical, nutritional, and sensory properties of the product. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to determine the optimum formulation for the production of Spirulina-enriched vegan cakes. The effects of Spirulina content (5-15 g), sugar content (90-110 g), flour content (90-110 g), and fat content (25-40 g) on some chemical, physical, and sensory properties of vegan cakes were investigated. It was found that the amount of Spirulina, the amount of sugar, the amount of flour, and the amount of fat could significantly affect the responses (p < 0.05). The optimum values for the independent variables were 11.965 g Spirulina, 106.206 g sugar, 110 g flour, and 25 g oil. The optimum formulation confirmed the fit of the regression models. In the optimum formulation of vegan cake enriched with Spirulina, baking loss was found to be 11.22%, hardness to be 43.96 N, Lcrumb* value to be 37.54, L_crust* value to be 41.94, protein content to be 4.2%, total phenolic content to be 186.475 mg GAE/100 g DW, ABTS antioxidant activity to be 15.5679 μmol TE/100 g DW, and overall acceptability value to be 8.2. It is thought that vegan cake enriched with Spirulina can create a new trend for vegan individuals. Additionally, the developed product stands out as a nutritious alternative to vegan cakes on the bakery market.