Exploring gluten-free cake: a comprehensive investigation of development, functionality, and structure

This study aimed to develop a cost-effective and nutritious gluten-free cake enriched with rice bran for introduction. Gluten-free cakes were prepared using rice flour (RF), maize flour (MF), and chickpea flour (CF) in different proportions. Following organoleptic evaluation, the T3 combination (40% RF, 40% MF, and 20% CF) was selected to incorporate varying percentages of rice bran (RB), namely 5%, 10%, and 15%. Chemical analysis revealed that the treatments caused a significant change in fiber (0.87–2.84%), fat (23.43–24.45%), and ash (0.16–1.52%) content with the addition of rice bran. Storage had a considerable impact on gluten-free, high-fiber cakes. The gluten-free cake formulated with 10% RF was the most acceptable. SEM analysis showed that porosity increased with higher concentrations of rice bran in the cakes. The results indicated that the functional properties of the gluten-free cake improved with the addition of 10% rice bran to the composite flour used in cake preparation.