Development and Evaluation of Cake from Wheat (Triticum aestivum ), Carrot ( Daucus carota ) and Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato ( Impomea batatas ) Flour Blends

This study evaluated the quality of cakes produced from flour blends of wheat, carrot and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). Flour blends were prepared from the raw materials and blended in varying proportions to produce cake samples as follows; Sample A (100% WF: 0% CF: 0% OFSP), Sample B (60% WF: 20% CF: 20% OFSP), Sample C (50% WF: 20% CF: 30% OFSP), Sample D (40% WF: 40% CF: 20% OFSP) and Sample E (30% WF: 40% CF: 30% OFSP). The functional properties of the flour blends as well as the proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin content and sensory attributes of the cake samples were analyzed. The results revealed significant ( P < 0.05 ) differences among the formulations. The proximate analysis showed that moisture content ranged from 11.36–12.81%, fat from 1.44–2.13%, ash content ranged from 1.34–4.05%, protein content ranged from 8.33–11.23% and fibre content from 2.62–8.04%. These values increased with higher substitution levels of carrot and OFSP flours. In contrast, carbohydrate content (63.19–73.45%) and energy values (316.53–340.08 Kcal) decreased as substitution levels increased. The mineral analysis indicated that calcium content ranged from 51.38–160.32 mg/100 g, potassium content ranged from 145.33–195.82 mg/100 g, magnesium content ranged from 20.37–33.21 mg/100 g, while zinc content ranged from 0.46–1.24 mg/100 g, demonstrating significant improvement in the composite flour cakes compared to the control. The vitamin analysis showed that vitamin A content ranged from 0.96–187.76 mg/100 g, while vitamin C content ranged from 1.53–16.27 mg/100 g with notable enhancement observed in blends containing higher proportions of carrot and OFSP flours. The sensory evaluation indicated that the cake samples were generally acceptable with slight variations in appearance and taste across formulations. The blend containing 30% wheat, 40% carrot and 30% OFSP yielded cakes that were nutritionally superior and well accepted by panelists. The study concludes that nutrient-dense and palatable cakes can be successfully produced using composite flours of wheat, carrot and orange-fleshed sweet potato. This approach provides a viable means of reducing dependence on wheat while enhancing the nutritional quality of cakes and other bakery products through the utilization of locally available crops.