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Measurement of Contour and Volume Changes During Cake Baking

¹Food Science and Technology Department of The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210. ²Associate Professor Food Science and Technology Department, The Ohio State University, 2015 Fyffe Road Columbus, OH 43210-1007. ³Corresponding author. Phone: 614-688-3642, Fax: 614-292-0218. E-mail: barringer.11@osu.edu.

Volume is an important characteristic in the evaluation of cakes and cake quality, relating to the underlying structural development of the cake. A method for evaluation of changes in contour and volume during the cake baking process is proposed: the height profile method. Volumes of baked cakes were determined using two standard methods, rapeseed displacement and cross-sectional tracings, and compared with height profile analysis to determine the accuracy of the new method for cake volume analysis. Height analysis values did not significantly differ from rapeseed and tracing results. The height profile method was used to analyze and calculate changes in volume during the baking process for cakes made with chlorine-treated and nonchlorine-treated flours. The method was also able to depict changes in contour of the baking cakes, showing definite differences in contour development between chlorine-treated and nonchlorinetreated flours. The height profile method of volume determination is a nonintrusive method that can be employed in the study of volumetric and contour changes of cakes while they bake.