Germinated legumes for improving nutritional and technological quality of fortified cakes, with further enhancement using phospholipase and SSL

Bakery products represent a promising platform for functional food development. In this study, cakes were fortified with germinated chickpea flour (GCP) and germinated white kidney bean flour (GWKB) as partial substitutes for wheat flour (10, 20, and 30%), while phospholipase and sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) were applied to improve technological quality. The effects of germination on proximate composition, minerals, phenolic compounds, functional properties, protein digestibility, and antioxidant capacity were evaluated, in addition to pasting behavior, texture, and color attributes. Germination significantly enhanced water and oil absorption capacities, emulsifying and foaming properties, and increased protein digestibility, reaching 75.13% in GCP compared to 64.33% in raw chickpea. Post-storage crumb firmness was significantly reduced by phospholipase and SSL, with optimal freshness achieved at 75.45 ppm phospholipase and 0.6% SSL (R² = 95.74%). In conclusion, this study demonstrates a novel dual-enhancement strategy that integrates legume germination with combined enzymatic treatment and RSM-based optimization to simultaneously improve nutritional value and post-storage technological performance of fortified cakes, providing a practical model for the development of high-quality functional bakery products.