ABSTARCT

Quality characteristics of cakes produced from blends of wheat, acha and watermelon seeds were evaluated. Cakes were produced from different flour blends (100:0:0, 0:100:0, 50:50:0, 50:30:20) of wheat, acha and watermelon seeds respectively. Cake with 100% wheat flour served as the control. Proximate, mineral, vitamin, phytochemical and sensory properties of the cakes were evaluated using standard laboratory procedures. The data generated were statistically analysed by one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS (Version 23.0). Cake produced with 50% wheat flour, 30% acha flour and 20% watermelon seed flour had the highest fat (14.34%), ash (2.46%), crude fibre (8.66%), crude protein (10.68%) and dry matter (85.55%). Higher moisture content (18.24%) was observed in cake made with 50% wheat flour and 50% acha flour. Cake with 100% wheat flour had the highest 13-carotene (1.05 g), niacin (6.81 mg) and cobalamin (0.45 mg) while cake with 100% acha flour had the highest pyridoxine content (2.71 mg). Substitution of wheat flour increased the thiamin (10.68 mg), riboflavin (0.82 mg) and ascorbic acid content (9.12 mg) of the cake. The control (cake produced with 100% wheat flour) had the highest magnesium (139.11 mg), phosphorus (42.67 mg), sodium (42.67 mg), potassium (422.02 mg), manganese (3.04 mg), selenium (0.04 mg), zinc (4.08 mg), copper (0.04 mg) and iron content (3.62 mg). Result of phytochemical content showed that cake produced with 100% wheat flour had higher tannin (0.24 mg), phytate (0.86 mg) and hydrogen cyanide (2.73 mg) than that of 100% acha and those substituted with flours from acha and watermelon seed. Sensory evaluation results showed that all the cakes had high rating for all evaluated attributes. Cake supplemented with 50% acha flour compared favourably with control (100% WF). Cakes from other substitution levels were generally acceptable as they were liked slightly by the panelists.