Wet room-temperature stored cake and making method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a moist normal-temperature stored cake and a making method thereof, and solves the problems that an existing normal-temperature cake is easy to age and quick in water loss. During preparation, corn is subjected to soaking, freezing, peeling, ultrahigh-pressure low-temperature crushing, low-temperature drying and airflow superfine crushing, and then is partially extruded and puffed to prepare powder; respectively preparing the powder, the egg liquid and the grease, mixing into paste, baking, cooling and processing to obtain a finished product. The specially treated corn flour delays starch retrogradation, the haematococcus pluvialis cooperates with the moisturizing raw material to lock water, the tea seed oil and stevia rebaudiana polyphenol inhibit oxidation crosslinking, the finished product is still moist and soft after being stored at normal temperature for 15 days, and the water activity, the water content and the texture index of the finished product after being stored at normal temperature for 2 weeks are all superior to those of a frozen storage sample.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, and specifically relates to a moist cake that can be stored at room temperature and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] In today's fast-paced consumer landscape, cakes, with their convenience and delicious taste, have become a core category in the baking market. Industry data shows that cakes consistently account for 40%-45% of sales in my country's baking market, and the number of new product launches consistently ranks first among all types of baked goods, making them a key segment supporting industry growth. However, the poor stability during room temperature storage has long been a technical bottleneck hindering the development of this category. Data from Kantar Worldpanel's 2023 tracking of room-temperature cakes in supermarkets shows that 4.2% of consumers complained about the cakes' "dry and hard texture and loss of softness," and many chose not to buy them again due to this issue. This directly leads to increased product return rates, shorter shelf lives, and an incalculable amount of food waste caused by aging issues each year.

[0003] The staling of room-temperature cakes is essentially a result of physicochemical changes in the internal components of the product after baking. The core cause lies in the fact that the starch in the cake undergoes gelatinization during baking, and then gradually "retrogrades" at room temperature—that is, the dissolved and swollen starch molecules rearrange themselves through hydrogen bonds, squeezing out the absorbed water and forming a crystalline structure similar to natural starch. This process is irreversible, leading not only to a significant increase in cake hardness and a decrease in elasticity and chewiness, but also to a reduction in water activity, causing water to migrate to the surface and dissipate, ultimately resulting in a dry, hard texture, a loose and coarse structure, and even affecting digestibility. Furthermore, the proteins and lipids in the cake are prone to cross-linking and oxidation reactions during storage, further exacerbating hardening and flavor deterioration, collectively constituting multiple factors contributing to the quality degradation of room-temperature cakes.

[0004] In existing technologies, the industry often alleviates aging problems by adding a single humectant (such as sorbitol or glycerin) or optimizing the baking process, but the effects are limited: a single humectant can only temporarily lock in moisture and cannot fundamentally inhibit starch retrogradation; conventional process improvements (such as adjusting baking temperature and time) lack the ability to control changes in components during storage, resulting in noticeable aging of the product after 5-7 days at room temperature. Meanwhile, some solutions attempt to extend shelf life through freezing, but the ice crystals formed during freezing can damage the gluten network structure inside the cake, leading to problems such as a lighter surface color, decreased elasticity, and a dry texture after thawing. Furthermore, it increases cold chain transportation and storage costs, failing to meet the convenience needs of mass consumers.

[0005] In summary, how to overcome the limitations of existing technologies and simultaneously achieve the three major goals of "inhibiting starch retrogradation, locking in moisture, and delaying lipid oxidation and protein cross-linking" through raw material modification and synergistic formula design, in order to develop cakes that can be stored at room temperature for more than 15 days while still maintaining a moist and soft texture, has become a pressing technical challenge for the baking industry. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a moist room temperature storage cake and its production method. This method can effectively inhibit starch retrogradation, lock in moisture, delay lipid oxidation and protein cross-linking, so that the cake can still maintain a moist and soft texture after being stored at room temperature for more than 15 days, thus solving the core technical problem of room temperature cake aging from the root.

[0007] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] The first aspect of this invention provides a method for making a moist cake that can be stored at room temperature, comprising the following steps:

[0009] (1) Raw material pretreatment: The corn kernels are pretreated including soaking, freezing and peeling; specifically, soaking: the corn kernels are placed in a constant temperature ultrasonic water bath at 30℃-50℃ and soaked for at least 12 hours; freezing: the soaked corn kernels are filtered through a sieve to remove water, dried and then rapidly frozen; peeling: the frozen corn kernels are put into a corn peeling and grits making machine to remove the husks from the surface of the corn.

[0010] (2) Ultra-high pressure low temperature grinding: Place the corn kernels with the peel removed into an ultra-high pressure device to grind the corn kernels into corn flour, and then dry them at low temperature in a low temperature oven;

[0011] (3) Ultrafine grinding: The dried corn flour is ultrafinely ground using a pulverizer to obtain ultrafine corn powder;

[0012] (4) Extrusion puffing treatment: A portion of the corn ultrafine powder is subjected to extrusion puffing treatment, and the extrudate is cooled to room temperature and then sieved;

[0013] (5) Powder part: Mix the other part of corn ultrafine powder after step (3), corn flour after extrusion and puffing treatment in step (4), flour, egg white powder, milk powder, Haematococcus pluvialis and xanthan gum evenly.

[0014] (6) Egg liquid part: Add trehalose, erythritol, stevia polyphenols, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters to the egg liquid, mix well, and then beat.

[0015] (7) Oil portion: Mix soybean oil and tea seed oil evenly;

[0016] (8) Cake batter: Add the beaten egg liquid from step (6) to the powder obtained in step (5), stir well, then add the oil mentioned in step (7), and continue to stir well to obtain cake batter;

[0017] The weight ratio of the egg liquid, oil, and powder is as follows:

[0018] 22-24 portions of egg liquid

[0019] 8-10 parts oil

[0020] 19-21 parts powder;

[0021] (9) Baking: Pour the cake batter into a baking pan and bake in an oven with an upper heat of 210°C and a lower heat of 180°C for 20-40 minutes. After cooling, heat the cake with a hot stamping machine and cut it into pieces with a slicing machine to obtain the moist cake that can be stored at room temperature.

[0022] Furthermore, in step (2), the conditions for ultra-high pressure cryogenic pulverization include: maintaining a pressure of 300-500 mp at 0-10℃ for 10-30 minutes.

[0023] Furthermore, in step (2), the conditions for low-temperature drying include: drying at 30℃-40℃ for 10-12 hours.

[0024] Furthermore, in step (3), the ultrafine grinding is carried out using an MQL03 type air jet mill, and the particle size of the ground corn flour is between 8 and 150 micrometers.

[0025] Furthermore, in step (4), the conditions for the extrusion puffing process include: a feeding speed of 12 Hz, a screw speed of 20 Hz, and an average temperature of 120 ℃ in the barrel area.

[0026] Furthermore, in step (5), the weight ratio of each raw material in the powder is as follows:

[0027] 3-5 parts of ultrafine corn powder

[0028] 4-6 parts of extruded and puffed corn flour

[0029] 6-8 portions of flour

[0030] Egg white powder 0.5-0.7 parts

[0031] Milk powder 0.9-1.1 parts

[0032] Haematococcus pluvialis 0.2-0.4 parts

[0033] Xanthan gum 0.05-0.1 parts.

[0034] Furthermore, in step (7), the volume ratio of soybean oil to tea seed oil is 10:1-3.

[0035] A second aspect of the present invention provides a moist cake that can be stored at room temperature, prepared by the method described in the first aspect.

[0036] Furthermore, after the cake was stored at room temperature for 2 weeks, its water activity was 0.88 and its moisture content was 33.6%.

[0037] This application addresses the fundamental technical challenges of room-temperature cakes' tendency to stale and lose moisture quickly through innovative modification of corn raw materials, synergistic design of a composite moisturizing system, and precise addition of anti-aging ingredients. Compared to existing technologies, it demonstrates significant novelty and inventiveness, with the following specific beneficial effects:

[0038] (a) Modification of corn raw materials: inhibiting starch retrogradation at the source, improving water holding capacity and paste stability.

[0039] This application abandons the traditional approach of directly using untreated grain flour in cakes. Instead, it employs a multi-step modification process on corn raw materials, involving "peeling - ultra-high pressure low-temperature grinding - low-temperature drying - airflow ultra-fine grinding / extrusion puffing," resulting in a composite formula of "ungelatinized ultra-fine powder + cooked puffed powder," bringing about a triple technological breakthrough:

[0040] 1. Reduce interference from insoluble dietary fiber: The corn peeling and grits making machine removes the surface husks of the corn, effectively reducing the content of insoluble dietary fiber and preventing it from absorbing moisture and damaging the paste structure during storage, thus reducing product aging caused by fiber from the source.

[0041] 2. Destroying the starch crystal structure and delaying retrogradation: Airflow ultrafine grinding controls the corn flour particle size to 8-150μm, resulting in a starch particle breakage rate of over 90%. The crystallinity is reduced from 30%-40% of natural starch to below 15%-20%, making it difficult for short-chain starch molecules to form orderly crystals. Extrusion puffing, through the synergistic action of 120℃ high temperature, high pressure, and shear force, completely gelatinizes the starch and degrades it into small molecular fragments, irreversibly destroying the hydrogen bond network in the crystalline region. These two treatment methods work together to inhibit starch retrogradation from both the "physical breakage" and "chemical gelatinization" dimensions. Experimental data shows that after 15 days of storage at room temperature, the cake hardness is only 120.14±2.32g, far lower than the hardness of traditional cakes at the same time (usually exceeding 180g).

[0042] 3. Enhanced water retention and batter stability: Ultra-fine grinding increases the specific surface area of ​​corn flour to 5-10 times that of traditional flour. The porous structure formed by extrusion and puffing further improves water absorption and retention performance. The synergy of the two powders allows the cake to retain a moisture content of 33.6% and a water activity of 0.88 after 15 days of storage at room temperature, significantly reducing water migration and loss. At the same time, the fine and evenly distributed corn flour can form a more stable batter network with protein and fat, preventing the structure from collapsing during storage and keeping the cake soft and elastic.

[0043] (ii) Complex moisturizing system: Multiple components work together to lock in moisture, forming a "internal protection and external locking" moisture-stabilizing structure.

[0044] This application overcomes the limitations of existing technologies that rely on "single moisturizers" by constructing a composite system with Haematococcus pluvialis as the core and multiple auxiliary moisturizers working synergistically to achieve long-lasting moisture locking.

[0045] 1. The dual function of "film formation and moisture absorption" of Haematococcus pluvialis: The natural polysaccharides contained in the cell walls of Haematococcus pluvialis have excellent colloidal properties. They work synergistically with intracellular astaxanthin to form a dense and breathable film on the surface of the cake, effectively blocking the influence of the external environment on the internal moisture. At the same time, its polysaccharide components have strong hygroscopicity, which can adsorb internal free water and form a stable hydration structure, preventing water from migrating to the surface and being lost. This dual mechanism of "external film locking + internal moisture absorption" is an innovative design that cannot be achieved by existing single moisturizers.

[0046] 2. Synergistic effect of auxiliary humectants: The xanthan gum (thickening and stabilizing), erythritol (low water activity regulator), and trehalose (protein and starch protectant) added to the formula complement Haematococcus pluvialis: Xanthan gum can increase the viscosity of the batter and reduce water flow; erythritol can reduce the water activity of the system, inhibiting microbial growth and slowing down starch retrogradation; trehalose can bind to starch molecules and prevent them from recrystallizing. The synergistic effect of multiple components makes the water form a stable structure inside the cake that is "not allowed to migrate freely". Experiments have shown that after 15 days of storage at room temperature, the product still maintains a moisture content of 33.6%, and the "moisture content" in sensory evaluation is far superior to the level of existing room temperature cakes at the same time.

[0047] (III) Addition of anti-aging ingredients: delays lipid oxidation and protein cross-linking, extending the shelf life of flavor and texture.

[0048] This application innovatively introduces tea seed oil and stevia polyphenols into the formula, precisely regulating the "lipid-protein" degradation pathway in cake aging:

[0049] 1. Antioxidant and taste optimization of tea seed oil: Tea seed oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. Its oxidative stability is much higher than that of ordinary soybean oil and corn oil, which can significantly delay lipid oxidation during storage and avoid the production of rancid or other deteriorated flavors. At the same time, its mild oil properties can form a more uniform dispersion system with the protein and starch in the batter, improving the texture and density of the cake.

[0050] 2. Anti-crosslinking effect of stevia polyphenols: As a natural antioxidant, stevia polyphenols can not only inhibit lipid oxidation, but also bind to protein molecules to prevent them from undergoing crosslinking reactions with starch or other components, thus avoiding the loss of elasticity in cake tissue due to protein hardening. Experimental data show that after 15 days of storage at room temperature, the chewiness of the cake was 85.84±1.2g and the cohesiveness was 0.76±0.01, maintaining a good chewing experience and tissue integrity. In contrast, the control sample without this component had a chewiness exceeding 120g and a cohesiveness below 0.65 during the same period.

[0051] (iv) Overall performance advantages: It combines the convenience of room temperature storage with high-quality taste, and has significant market value.

[0052] Compared with existing technologies, the product of this application achieves a comprehensive breakthrough in core performance indicators:

[0053] 1. Extended shelf life: After being stored at room temperature (20±2℃) for 15 days, it still maintains a moist and soft texture. The total score of sensory evaluation (appearance, texture, elasticity, and taste) reaches 92 points, which is far higher than the shelf life of existing room temperature cakes of 5-7 days.

[0054] 2. Cost and convenience optimization: It eliminates the need to rely on frozen storage and cold chain transportation, reducing logistics and terminal storage costs and better meeting the convenience needs of mass consumption scenarios;

[0055] 3. Excellent quality stability: Compared with frozen (-18℃) stored samples, the moisture content (33.6% vs 31.8%), water activity (0.88 vs 0.85), and hardness (120.14g vs 125.19g) of the product stored at room temperature in this application are all better, and there is no problem of deterioration in taste after thawing, which completely solves the industry pain point of "quality decline after frozen storage". Attached Figure Description

[0056] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for making a moist, room-temperature stored cake according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The embodiments described are provided to better illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the embodiments described. Therefore, non-essential improvements and adjustments made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art based on the above description are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.

[0060] The present invention will be described in detail below through embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are only used to exemplify and further explain and illustrate the content of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0061] Example 1

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a moist cake that can be stored at room temperature, and its preparation method includes the following steps:

[0063] (1) Raw material pretreatment: The corn kernels are pretreated including soaking, freezing and peeling; Specifically, soaking: The corn kernels are placed in a constant temperature ultrasonic water bath at 30℃-50℃ and soaked for 12 hours; freezing: The soaked corn kernels are filtered through a sieve to remove water, and then dried for 20 to 30 minutes until they are dry before being rapidly frozen; peeling: The frozen corn kernels are put into a corn peeling and grits making machine to remove the husks from the surface of the corn.

[0064] (2) Ultra-high pressure low temperature grinding: Place the corn kernels with the peel removed into an ultra-high pressure device and grind them into corn flour at 0-10℃ and 300-500mp pressure for 20 minutes. Then dry them at low temperature in a low temperature oven.

[0065] (3) Ultrafine grinding: The dried corn flour is ultrafinely ground by airflow using an MQL03 type airflow mill to obtain corn ultrafine powder. The particle size of the ground corn flour is between 8 and 150 micrometers.

[0066] (4) Extrusion puffing treatment: A portion of the corn ultrafine powder (2 / 5) is subjected to extrusion puffing treatment. The conditions for extrusion puffing treatment include: feeding speed of 12Hz, screw speed of 20Hz, average temperature of barrel area of ​​120℃, and sieve after the extrudate is cooled to room temperature.

[0067] (5) Powder part: Mix the other part of corn ultrafine powder (3 / 5) after step (3), corn flour after extrusion and puffing treatment in step (4), flour, egg white powder, milk powder, Haematococcus pluvialis and xanthan gum evenly.

[0068] The ratio of flour, egg white powder, milk powder, Haematococcus pluvialis, and xanthan gum is 7:0.6:1:0.3:0.1.

[0069] (6) Egg liquid part: Add trehalose, erythritol, stevia polyphenols, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol and polyglycerides to the egg liquid, mix well and then whip.

[0070] The ratio of added trehalose, erythritol, stevia polyphenols, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters is 1.5:0.2:0.1:0.05:0.05:0.1.

[0071] Among them, "trehalose and erythritol" increase the sweetness of the cake base and help it resist aging; "stevia polyphenols" help the cake base resist aging; and "monoglyceride and diglyceride fatty acid esters, propylene glycol, and polyglyceride fatty acid esters" help the cake base retain moisture and prevent shrinkage.

[0072] (7) Oils: Mix soybean oil and tea seed oil evenly.

[0073] The volume ratio of soybean oil to tea seed oil is 10:1.

[0074] (8) Cake batter: Add the beaten egg liquid from step (6) to the powder obtained in step (5), stir well, then add the oil mentioned in step (7), and continue to stir well to obtain cake batter;

[0075] The ratio of egg liquid, oil and powder is 23:9:20.

[0076] (9) Baking: Pour the cake batter into a baking pan, 3kg / pan, and bake in an oven with an upper heat of 210℃ and a lower heat of 180℃ for 30 minutes. After cooling, heat the cake with a hot stamping machine and cut it into pieces with a slicing machine to obtain the moist cake that can be stored at room temperature.

[0077] Test Example 1

[0078] To verify the change in the moisture content of cakes under different storage conditions, this test case used the product made with the same formula as in Example 1 as a sample. Two storage methods were designed (storage at room temperature 20±2℃ and storage at -18℃) for the experiment. After 2 weeks of storage, the samples were subjected to sensory evaluation, water activity and moisture content, as well as hardness and chewiness indicators. The experimental process and results are as follows.

[0079] 1. Sensory evaluation of the cake

[0080] To ensure objectivity and fairness in product evaluation, this test case establishes a unified evaluation standard. It refers to the sensory evaluation table in "GB / T24303-2009 Grain and Oil Inspection - Wheat Flour Cake Baking Quality Test - Sponge Cake Method" and makes slight modifications to it. The sensory quality of moist cakes under different storage conditions is evaluated in four aspects: appearance, texture, elasticity, and taste. The total score is 100. The sensory scoring standards and scores are shown in Table 1 below.

[0081] Table 1 Sensory Evaluation Form

[0082]

[0083] Note: Cakes stored frozen (-18℃) should be thawed at 25℃ for 100 minutes before sensory evaluation.

[0084] In order to conduct an objective and fair evaluation of the product, the company's sensory evaluation team (21 people) was invited to evaluate the samples after two weeks of storage. The results are as follows:

[0085] Table 2 Sensory Evaluation Results

[0086]

[0087] Moist cakes stored at room temperature received higher sensory scores than those stored frozen. Room-temperature moist cakes were superior in appearance, texture, elasticity, and taste. Room-temperature cakes had a golden-yellow surface, a soft texture, evenly distributed air pockets, good elasticity when pressed, and a soft, sweet taste. In contrast, frozen cakes showed a lighter surface color, a coarser texture, poorer elasticity when pressed, and a slightly drier texture when chewed. Based on this sensory evaluation, this test concluded that room-temperature cakes were superior to frozen cakes in appearance, texture, elasticity, and taste.

[0088] 2. Cake moisture content and water activity testing

[0089] This test example sent samples stored at two different temperatures to the laboratory for moisture and water activity testing. Moisture content and water activity are two key parameters describing the moisture state in a cake. Moisture content represents the percentage of total water mass in the cake, while water activity reflects the availability of water. The moisture content of the cake was determined using the direct drying method as described in GB 5009.3-2016 National Food Safety Standard - Determination of Moisture in Food. The water activity of the cake was determined using the water activity meter method as described in GB 5009.238-2016 National Food Safety Standard - Determination of Water Activity in Food. The results are shown in Table 3 below.

[0090] Table 3. Changes in moisture content and water activity of cakes under different storage conditions.

[0091]

[0092] Note: Cakes stored frozen (-18℃) were thawed at 25℃ for 100 minutes before their properties were measured.

[0093] The test data above shows that cakes stored at room temperature have higher water activity and moisture content than cakes stored frozen, which is consistent with the sensory evaluation results.

[0094] 3. Cake texture testing

[0095] Texture properties are important parameters for evaluating product acceptability. Among them, hardness is related to the force required for cake deformation, cohesiveness reflects the degree of binding of the internal components of the sample, and chewiness is related to the energy required for the sample to become swallowable. Existing research shows that the higher the hardness and chewiness, the worse the cake's texture, while the higher the elasticity, resilience, and cohesiveness, the better the cake's texture, and these properties are positively correlated with quality.

[0096] This test example determined the textural properties of samples stored under two different conditions. The method of Graziele et al. was referenced and slightly modified to determine the hardness, chewiness, and cohesiveness of the cake (Grossi Bovi Karatay G, Rebellato A P, Joy Steel C, et al. Chickpea aquafaba-based emulsions as a fat replacer pound cake: Impact on cake properties and sensory analysis[J]. Foods, 2022,11(16): 2484). A (2×2×2) cm section of the cake center was cut and subjected to TPA testing. The testing conditions were: probe model P / 35; pre-test speed 1 mm / s, test speed 1 mm / s, post-test speed 3.0 mm / s; trigger force 5 g, interval 10 s, deformation degree 50%. The results are shown in Table 4 below.

[0097] Table 4. Changes in the textural properties of cakes under different storage conditions

[0098]

[0099] Note: Cakes stored frozen (-18℃) were thawed at 25℃ for 100 minutes before their properties were measured.

[0100] In summary, due to different storage methods, the quality of moist cakes stored frozen is reduced. On the one hand, this may be because the rearrangement of starch molecular chains during freezing increases crystallinity and causes starch retrogradation, which directly affects the product's water retention capacity and texture characteristics. On the other hand, it may be due to mechanical damage caused by the changes in ice crystals during freezing, which disrupt the original gluten network structure.

[0101] The data above shows that cakes stored at room temperature have lower hardness and cohesiveness than those stored frozen, while cakes stored at room temperature have higher cohesiveness. These indicators suggest that cakes stored at room temperature have better overall anti-aging effects and better formula coordination.

[0102] Comparative Example

[0103] This comparative example uses the method described in Example 1 to make a cake, the difference being the raw materials and processing methods used (the corn raw material was not subjected to peeling, ultra-high pressure low temperature pulverization or other modification treatments, Haematococcus pluvialis and xanthan gum were not added to the powder, stevia polyphenols and trehalose were not added to the egg liquid, and only soybean oil was used as the oil). The specific production method includes the following steps:

[0104] (1) Raw material pretreatment: The corn kernels are ground into fine powder of 80-100 mesh by a grinder.

[0105] (2) Powder part: Mix the corn powder, flour and milk powder processed in step (1) evenly.

[0106] The ratio of corn flour, wheat flour, and milk powder is 9:9:2.

[0107] (3) Egg liquid part: Add white sugar to the egg liquid, mix well and then beat.

[0108] The ratio of egg liquid to white sugar is 15:8.

[0109] (4) Oil portion: All soybean oil is used, and no other raw materials are added.

[0110] (5) Cake batter: Add the beaten egg liquid from step (3) to the powder obtained in step (2), stir well, then add the oil mentioned in step (4), and continue to stir well to obtain cake batter.

[0111] The ratio of egg liquid, oil and powder is 23:9:20.

[0112] (9) Baking: Pour the cake batter into a baking pan, 3kg / pan, and bake in an oven with an upper heat of 210℃ and a lower heat of 180℃ for 30 minutes. After cooling, heat the cake with a hot stamping machine and cut it into pieces with a slicing machine to obtain a cake that can be stored at room temperature.

[0113] Two storage methods (room temperature storage of 20±2℃ and storage at -18℃) were designed for the experiment. After 2 weeks of storage, the sensory evaluation, water activity, water content, hardness, and chewiness of the conventionally stored cake as a control were measured. The experimental results are as follows:

[0114] 1. Sensory evaluation of the cake (evaluation criteria are the same as the "Sensory Evaluation Table in Table 1" of Test Example 1)

[0115] In order to conduct an objective and fair evaluation of the product, the company's sensory evaluation team (21 people) was invited to evaluate the samples after two weeks of storage. The results are as follows:

[0116] Table 5 Sensory Evaluation Results

[0117]

[0118] The evaluation of samples after two weeks of storage revealed that the sensory evaluation of the standard cakes in the comparative sample was poor after two weeks of storage at room temperature and in the freezer. Both storage methods resulted in a lighter surface color, a rough texture, poor rebound after pressing, and a dry taste when chewing.

[0119] 2. Cake moisture content and water activity test (the test standard is the same as that in Test Example 1)

[0120] In this comparative example, samples stored at two different temperatures were sent to the laboratory for moisture and water activity testing. It can be seen that the comparative example cake had lower water activity and moisture content than the cake in Example 1, indicating that the cake base had poor water retention and the product aged more severely.

[0121] Table 6. Changes in moisture content and water activity of cakes under different storage conditions.

[0122]

[0123] Note: Cakes stored frozen (-18℃) were thawed at 25℃ for 100 minutes before their properties were measured.

[0124] 3. Cake texture testing (the testing standards are the same as those in Test Example 1)

[0125] Table 7. Changes in the textural properties of cakes under different storage conditions

[0126]

[0127] Note: Cakes stored frozen (-18℃) were thawed at 25℃ for 100 minutes before their properties were measured.

[0128] The data above shows that the comparative cake had higher hardness and cohesiveness than the cake in Example 1 after 2 weeks of frozen and room temperature storage, indicating that the comparative cake had poor overall anti-aging effect and poor formula coordination.

[0129] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and is not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for making a moist cake that can be stored at room temperature, characterized in that, The manufacturing method includes the following steps: (1) Raw material pretreatment: The corn kernels are pretreated including soaking, freezing and peeling; specifically, soaking: the corn kernels are placed in a constant temperature ultrasonic water bath at 30℃-50℃ and soaked for at least 12 hours; freezing: the soaked corn kernels are filtered through a sieve to remove water, dried and then rapidly frozen; peeling: the frozen corn kernels are put into a corn peeling and grits making machine to remove the husks from the surface of the corn. (2) Ultra-high pressure low temperature grinding: Place the corn kernels with the peel removed into an ultra-high pressure device to grind the corn kernels into corn flour, and then dry them at low temperature in a low temperature oven; (3) Ultrafine grinding: The dried corn flour is ultrafinely ground using a pulverizer to obtain ultrafine corn powder; (4) Extrusion puffing treatment: A portion of the corn ultrafine powder is subjected to extrusion puffing treatment, and the extrudate is cooled to room temperature and then sieved; (5) Powder part: Mix the other part of corn ultrafine powder after step (3), corn flour after extrusion and puffing treatment in step (4), flour, egg white powder, milk powder, Haematococcus pluvialis and xanthan gum evenly. (6) Egg liquid part: Add trehalose, erythritol, stevia polyphenols, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, propylene glycol, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters to the egg liquid, mix well, and then beat. (7) Oil portion: Mix soybean oil and tea seed oil evenly; (8) Cake batter: Add the beaten egg liquid from step (6) to the powder obtained in step (5), stir well, then add the oil mentioned in step (7), and continue to stir well to obtain cake batter; The weight ratio of the egg liquid, oil, and powder is as follows: 22-24 portions of egg liquid 8-10 parts oil 19-21 parts powder; (9) Baking: Pour the cake batter into a baking pan and bake in an oven with an upper heat of 210°C and a lower heat of 180°C for 20-40 minutes. After cooling, the cake is decorated with hot ironing and cut into pieces by a cutting machine to obtain the moist cake that can be stored at room temperature.

2. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the conditions for ultra-high pressure cryogenic pulverization include: maintaining a pressure of 300-500 mp at 0-10℃ for 10-30 minutes.

3. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (2), the conditions for low-temperature drying include drying at 30℃-40℃ for 10-12 hours.

4. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (3), the ultrafine grinding is carried out using an MQL03 type air jet mill, and the particle size of the ground corn flour is between 8 and 150 micrometers.

5. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (4), the conditions for the extrusion puffing process include: a feeding speed of 12 Hz, a screw speed of 20 Hz, and an average temperature of 120 ℃ in the barrel area.

6. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (5), the weight ratio of each raw material in the powder is as follows: 3-5 parts of ultrafine corn powder 4-6 parts of extruded and puffed corn flour 6-8 portions of flour Egg white powder 0.5-0.7 parts Milk powder 0.9-1.1 parts Haematococcus pluvialis 0.2-0.4 parts Xanthan gum 0.05-0.1 parts.

7. The manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step (7), the volume ratio of soybean oil to tea seed oil is 10:1-3.

8. A moist cake for room temperature storage prepared by any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The moist, room-temperature-stored cake according to claim 8, characterized in that, After being stored at room temperature for two weeks, the cake had a water activity of 0.88 and a moisture content of 33.6%.

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