Method for producing cake dough, method for producing cake, method for producing composite confectionery, and foaming agent

Abstract

To provide a method for producing cake dough and a method for producing cake that can sufficiently exert foaming power of eggs without depending on an emulsifier.SOLUTION: A method for producing cake dough containing starchy raw materials, eggs, and fats and oils as ingredients, comprises a step A for blending the eggs with pullulan and foaming them to obtain a foamed product, and a step B for blending the foamed product with the starchy raw materials and mixing them. The eggs combined with the pullulan in the step A is an egg raw material containing at least egg yolk. Furthermore, a method for producing cake obtains cake dough by the cake dough producing method, forms the cake dough into a predetermined shape, and then performs heating-treatment.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for producing cake dough, a method for producing a cake, a method for producing a composite confectionery, and a foaming agent. [Background technology]

[0002] In the production of sponge cakes and other cakes, the foaming power of whipped eggs is often used to incorporate air into the batter, reducing its specific gravity. Known methods include the separate beating method, in which egg yolks and egg whites are whipped separately, and the co-beating method, in which egg yolks and egg whites are whipped together. This method is also called the "last-flour method," as flour and oil are added to whipped eggs. Generally, when preparing cake batter using the last-flour method, skilled techniques are required to skillfully add and mix flour and oil, as they have the property of eliminating air bubbles in whipped eggs.

[0003] Regarding the preparation of cake batter, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an oil-in-water emulsified oil for cakes, which is obtained by blending 0.2 to 2 wt% of polyglycerol fatty acid ester, 0.1 to 2 wt% of lecithin, and 0.1 to 2 wt% of a thickener with a total of 100 parts by weight of 30 to 70 wt% of edible oil and 70 to 30 wt% of an aqueous phase. This emulsified oil is said to facilitate the work of preparing cake batter by separate mixing or simultaneous mixing, and to enhance batter stability.

[0004] Furthermore, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses an air foam stabilizer for cake batter that contains carboxymethyl cellulose and is substantially free of emulsifiers. This air foam stabilizer is said to facilitate the preparation of cake batter by the post-flour method, even without the inclusion of an emulsifier. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-16554 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-83759 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, according to the investigations of the present inventors, the emulsified oil for cakes as disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the use of a predetermined amount of emulsifier to maintain the form of the emulsified oil, and there is a problem in that the strange flavor of the emulsifier impairs the original natural flavor derived from the raw materials such as wheat flour and eggs.

[0007] Furthermore, the cake batter foam stabilizer disclosed in Patent Document 2 had the problem that it did not have sufficient foaming properties or foam stability, for example, when an oil or fat ingredient in which the oil phase is the continuous phase was used as the cake batter ingredient.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a cake batter and a method for producing a cake that enable the foaming power of eggs to be fully exerted without relying on an emulsifier, a foaming agent to be used in the production of the cake batter and the production of the cake, and a composite confectionery including a cake obtained by these methods. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present inventors have conducted extensive research to solve the above problems and have found that when egg foaming is carried out in combination with pullulan and an egg raw material containing at least egg yolk, the foaming power of the eggs is enhanced, thereby enabling the production of high-quality cakes, which has led to the completion of the present invention.

[0010] That is, in a first aspect, the present invention provides: A method for producing cake dough containing starchy ingredients, eggs, and fats and oils as ingredients, A step A of combining the eggs with pullulan and foaming to obtain a foam; and step B of mixing the foamed product with the starchy raw material, The method for producing cake batter is provided, wherein the egg mixed with the pullulan in step A is an egg raw material containing at least egg yolk.

[0011] The method for producing cake batter described above includes a step of foaming an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk with pullulan, thereby obtaining a foamed product. The pullulan enhances the foaming power of the eggs, allowing them to be well aerated and maintain stable foam. This allows for the production of a high-quality cake that melts easily in the mouth and has a uniform inner texture.

[0012] In the above-mentioned method for producing cake dough, the oil may be further mixed with the eggs and pullulan to foam the mixture in step A. This allows the oil and fat used as raw materials to be mixed with the eggs to obtain a foamed mixture, which makes it easier to mix the raw materials.

[0013] In any of the above-described embodiments of the method for producing cake batter, in step A, the fat or oil may be further combined with the eggs and pullulan in the form of a fat or oil raw material having an oil phase as a continuous phase and foamed to obtain a foamed product. This makes it possible to obtain a cake batter that is sufficiently aerated and has excellent foam stability, even when shortening, margarine, liquid oil, or the like is used. Furthermore, even if the fat or oil raw material having an oil phase as a continuous phase remains on equipment such as a mixer bowl used for foaming, foaming power is maintained without the need to clean the equipment each time, making it easy to produce multiple batches of cake batter continuously.

[0014] In any of the above-described embodiments of the method for producing cake batter, phytic acid may be further added in step A to obtain the foamed product. This method involves adding pullulan and phytic acid to an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk and foaming it to obtain the foamed product, thereby further enhancing the foaming power of the eggs, allowing for good aeration and maintaining stable air bubbles. This allows for the production of a high-quality cake that melts easily in the mouth and has a uniform inner texture.

[0015] In any of the above aspects of the cake batter manufacturing method, a sugar ingredient may be further added to obtain the foamed material in step A. This allows the sugar ingredient to be mixed with eggs to obtain the foamed material, making it easier to mix the ingredients.

[0016] In any of the above aspects of the method for producing cake batter, the cake batter may be substantially free of emulsifiers, so that the flavor of the resulting cake is not impaired by the off-flavor of the emulsifier.

[0017] In any of the above-described aspects of the cake batter manufacturing method, the pullulan may be contained in an amount of 0.3 to 5 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material, which allows the cake batter to be blended with an amount sufficient to enhance the foaming power of eggs.

[0018] In any of the above-described aspects of the method for producing cake batter, the preparation of the foamed substance in step A may be carried out using a vertical mixer. This facilitates the process of combining pullulan with an egg raw material containing at least egg yolk and foaming to obtain the foamed substance.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention provides: The present invention provides a method for producing a cake, which comprises obtaining a cake dough by any one of the above-described methods for producing cake dough, forming the cake dough into a predetermined shape, and then heat-treating the cake.

[0020] According to the method for producing the cake, the preparation of the cake batter includes a step of foaming an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk with pullulan, thereby obtaining a foamed product. The pullulan enhances the foaming power of the eggs, allowing for good aeration and maintaining stable air bubbles. This allows for the production of a high-quality cake that melts easily in the mouth and has a uniform inner texture.

[0021] In the method for producing a cake, the cake batter may be prepared by appropriately adopting one or more of the various modes applicable to the method for producing a cake batter described above. The advantages of each mode are the same as those described above.

[0022] In a third aspect, the present invention provides: The present invention provides a method for producing a composite confectionery, which comprises forming a cake dough obtained by any of the above-described methods for producing cake dough into a predetermined shape, heat-treating the cake to obtain a cake, and then combining the cake with other confectionery ingredients to obtain a composite confectionery.

[0023] According to the above-mentioned method for producing a composite confectionery, the preparation of the cake dough for the composite confectionery includes a step of combining pullulan with an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk and foaming it to obtain a foamed product, whereby the pullulan aids the foaming power of the eggs, allowing for good aeration and maintaining stable air bubbles. This allows for the production of a composite confectionery with a high-quality cake that melts easily in the mouth and has a uniform inner texture.

[0024] In the above-described method for producing a composite confectionery, the composite confectionery may be substantially free of emulsifiers, so that the flavor of the resulting composite confectionery is not impaired by the off-flavor of the emulsifier.

[0025] In the method for producing the composite confectionery, the cake batter for the composite confectionery may be prepared by appropriately adopting one or more of the various methods applicable to the method for producing cake batter described above. The advantages of each method are the same as those described above.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides: In any of the above-mentioned methods for producing cake dough, cake, or composite confectionery, there is provided a foaming agent used to foam the egg raw material containing at least egg yolk, the foaming agent containing pullulan as an active ingredient.

[0027] The foaming agent can be suitably used in the preparation of cake dough by the post-flour method, in which flour and oil are added to whipped eggs.

[0028] The foaming agent may further contain phytic acid as an active ingredient, which makes it even more suitable for use in preparing cake dough using the post-flour method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for producing a cake batter and a method for producing a cake that enable the foaming power of eggs to be fully exerted without relying on an emulsifier. It is also possible to provide a foaming agent used in producing the cake batter and the cake. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a composite confectionery that includes a cake obtained by these methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] The present invention will be described in further detail below. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the term "to" in a numerical range means from above to below, and includes both of the numerical values ​​at both ends. Furthermore, when a numerical range is shown, the upper and lower limits can be appropriately combined, and the resulting numerical range is also disclosed.

[0031] Examples of starchy raw materials used in the present invention include grain flours such as wheat flour, hard wheat flour, all-purpose flour, soft wheat flour, durum flour, whole wheat flour, roasted wheat flour, rice flour, rye flour, barley flour, and corn flour; starches such as cornstarch, waxy cornstarch, tapioca starch, sweet potato starch, potato starch, wheat starch, rice starch, sweet potato starch, and kudzu starch; and processed starches obtained by subjecting starch to oxidation, esterification, etherification, cross-linking, gelatinization, moist heat treatment, dry heat treatment, or the like. One type of starchy raw material may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. Although not limited, the starchy raw material preferably contains wheat flour, and may be soft flour.

[0032] Examples of eggs used in the present invention include whole eggs, egg yolks, and egg whites. Cracked eggs, liquid eggs, and dried eggs can be used, and they can be used with or without pretreatment such as sterilization, freezing, salting, sugaring, and enzyme treatment. One type of egg may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. While not limited, eggs preferably include whole eggs, and may be chicken eggs.

[0033] Examples of fats and oils that can be used in the present invention include corn oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, rice oil, sesame oil, olive oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, sal fat, illipe fat, lard, beef tallow, milk fat, etc., as well as mixtures of these, hardened oils, fractionated oils, and interesterified oils. One type of fat and oil may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. The fat and oil may be liquid at room temperature (e.g., 25°C), but is not limited thereto.

[0034] The pullulan used in the present invention may be any commercially available product containing pullulan that can be incorporated into foods, including, but not limited to, "Pullulan" (manufactured by Nagase Vita Co., Ltd.).

[0035] The cake dough provided by the present invention may contain other ingredients in addition to the ingredients described above, as appropriate. For example, sucrose raw materials such as white sugar, granulated sugar, white rough sugar, medium rough sugar, powdered sugar, Wasanbon, brown sugar, and brown sugar; small sugars other than sucrose such as glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, raffinose, and lactulose; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, xylitol, and lactitol; molasses, starch syrup, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, dextrin, cyclodextrin, isomerized liquid sugar, and various oligosaccharides and syrups; organic acids such as phytic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, malic acid, and ascorbic acid; proteins such as milk protein materials, soy protein materials, wheat protein materials, and pea protein materials; minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium; raw milk, cow's milk, condensed milk, skim milk, powdered skim milk, and whole milk powder. Examples of suitable additives include dairy products such as cream, casein, whey powder, natural cheese, processed cheese, and fermented milk; dietary fibers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin, chitosan, resistant starch, soy polysaccharides, beet fiber, wheat bran, pea fiber, apple dietary fiber, citrus fiber, wheat fiber, oat fiber, sugarcane fiber, potato fiber, β-glucan, and gum arabic; thickening polysaccharides such as pectin, carrageenan, guar gum, xanthan gum, tamarind gum, locust bean gum, agar, alginic acids, tara gum, cassia gum, gellan gum, curdlan, gelatin, and tremel gum; cellulose ethers such as methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose; and leavening agents such as baking powder. Other ingredients include yeast, antioxidants, pH adjusters, colorings, flavorings, alcohol, amino acids, vitamins, chocolate, cocoa powder, almond powder, soy flour, fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, salt, and preservatives.

[0036] The present invention uses pullulan as a component that aids the foaming power of eggs in cake dough containing starchy ingredients, eggs, and fats and oils, thereby allowing the eggs to be well aerated and keeping the bubbles stable.

[0037] Therefore, in the present invention, when preparing cake dough, it is necessary to go through the following steps A and B. (Step A) Eggs are combined with pullulan and foamed to obtain a foam. (Step B) The foamed product is mixed with a starchy raw material. Here, the eggs to be combined with pullulan in step A must be egg raw materials containing at least egg yolk.

[0038] In step A, when the egg raw material and pullulan are combined and foamed, there are no particular limitations on the manner in which they are combined. For example, powdered pullulan may have poor solubility when directly contacted with the egg raw material, but mixing can be facilitated by first dissolving the powdered pullulan well in water or the like and then combining it with the egg raw material. Alternatively, for example, powdered pullulan may be mixed with a powdered raw material containing a sugar raw material and then combined with the egg raw material, or powdered pullulan may be dispersed in an oily raw material containing fats and oils and then combined with the egg raw material.

[0039] In the above-mentioned step A, the egg raw material containing at least egg yolk is combined with pullulan to foam, and for example, a mixer belonging to the forced foaming machine can be used, although not limited thereto. Specifically, a continuous mixer that mixes gas in a pipe and mechanically stirs, such as a Mondo mixer, Oakes mixer, or Turbomix, or a pressure mixer that incorporates a large amount of air by high-speed mixing under pressure, can be used. On the other hand, a vertical mixer, horizontal mixer, slurry mixer, or the like that foams while mixing air in the atmosphere at atmospheric pressure may also be used. Although these means do not include forced foaming machines, according to the present invention, good foaming can be achieved by a method of foaming while mixing air in the atmosphere at atmospheric pressure, without using a forced foaming machine. Among these, a vertical mixer is more preferable because of its ease of handling.

[0040] As will be shown in the test examples described later, a foamed product obtained by foaming an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk with pullulan can be combined with a starchy ingredient such as wheat flour to form a dough, and the dough is then heat-treated to obtain a cake that melts in the mouth, has fine pores in the internal phase, and is uniform in texture.The reason why such a high-quality cake can be obtained is thought to be that the oil and water contained in the foamed product are more stably emulsified by the presence of egg yolk and pullulan, which in turn allows for good aeration and maintains stable air bubbles.

[0041] Although not limited thereto, the content of pullulan in the foamed material is preferably 0.05 to 3% by mass, and more preferably 0.1 to 2.5% by mass.

[0042] Although not limited thereto, the content of the egg raw material containing at least egg yolk in the foamed product is preferably 30 to 60% by mass, more preferably 35 to 55% by mass. Furthermore, the content of the egg raw material in the foamed product, converted into egg yolk, is preferably 30 to 60% by mass, more preferably 35 to 55% by mass. Generally, egg white is a material that provides foaming power as a raw material for confectioneries. Therefore, the egg raw material preferably contains egg white together with egg yolk. Here, as described above, in the present invention, egg yolk is presumed to play a role in appropriately emulsifying water and oil in the foamed product. Therefore, the egg raw material may be whole eggs or processed egg products such as liquid eggs and dried eggs.

[0043] In a non-limiting optional aspect of the present invention, in the above step A, the oil / fat may be further combined with the egg raw material and pullulan to foam the mixture. This allows the raw oil / fat to be combined with the eggs to obtain a foamed mixture, facilitating the mixing of the raw materials. Furthermore, even if the oil / fat raw material remains on the equipment used for foaming, such as a mixer bowl, the foaming power is maintained without the need to clean the equipment each time, facilitating the continuous production of multiple batches of cake dough. Here, the oil / fat may be combined with the egg raw material and pullulan to foam the mixture in the form of an oil / fat raw material having an oil phase as the continuous phase, or may be combined with the egg raw material and pullulan to foam the mixture in the form of an oil / fat raw material having an aqueous phase as the continuous phase. In the present invention, by foaming the oil / fat raw material with pullulan, a good foamed mixture can be obtained even when the oil / fat raw material has an oil phase as the continuous phase. More specifically, when combined with pullulan, the fat or oil can be in the form of edible fat or oil, shortening, butter, margarine, etc., and may be solid, semi-solid, or liquid at room temperature (e.g., 25° C.). In these forms, a cake batter can be prepared using a fat or oil material that is stable in storage and emulsified state.

[0044] When the above-mentioned oil or fat is contained in the foamed material, its content is not limited, but is preferably more than 0 to 30 parts by mass, and more preferably 1 to 20 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starchy raw material in the cake dough. In this case, the oil or fat used may be an oil or fat that is liquid at room temperature (e.g., 25°C), such as rapeseed oil, soybean oil, or corn oil. It may also be in a solid or semi-solid form at room temperature (e.g., 25°C). In this case, from the viewpoint of improving the stability of the bubbles, it may be heated to a liquid state and then mixed with the above-mentioned egg raw material and pullulan to foam.

[0045] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, in step A, phytic acid may be further added to the egg raw material, pullulan, and, if necessary, oil or fat to obtain a foamed product. This method involves adding phytic acid to the egg raw material and pullulan to obtain a foamed product, thereby further enhancing the foaming power of the eggs, thereby allowing for good aeration and maintaining stable foam. Here, phytic acid may be added in the form of a phytic acid-containing material or preparation to the egg raw material and pullulan to obtain a foamed product. More specifically, phytic acid may be prepared from an extract derived from rice bran to increase the phytic acid concentration. Such phytic acid-containing materials and preparations are commercially available in liquid form, such as aqueous solutions, or in powder form. Therefore, for example, mixing can be facilitated by thoroughly dissolving a powdered material or preparation containing phytic acid in water or the like beforehand and then combining it with the egg raw material and pullulan. Alternatively, for example, a powdered material or preparation containing phytic acid may be mixed in advance with a powdered raw material containing a sugar raw material, etc., and then combined with the egg raw material, or a powdered material or preparation containing phytic acid may be dispersed in advance in an oily raw material containing fats and oils, etc., and then combined with the egg raw material.

[0046] When phytic acid is contained in the foamed material, its content is not limited, but is preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 8 parts by mass, and even more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material in the cake batter. As mentioned above, phytic acid may be prepared from an extract derived from rice bran to increase the concentration of phytic acid. Such phytic acid-containing materials and preparations are commercially available in liquid form, such as an aqueous solution, or in powder form. In this case, the content is expressed as the amount converted to phytic acid.

[0047] In a non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, in step A, the sugar raw material may be further mixed with the egg raw material and pullulan, and optionally with fats and oils or phytic acid, to obtain a foamed product. This allows the sugar to be mixed with the eggs to obtain a foamed product, making it easier to mix the ingredients. Furthermore, adding a certain amount of particulate sugar raw material can further improve the foaming properties and foam stability of the foamed product.

[0048] When a sugar ingredient is added to the foamed product, its content is not limited, but is preferably 50 to 200 parts by mass, and more preferably 100 to 150 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch ingredient in the cake dough. In this case, the sugar ingredient used may be sucrose ingredients such as the above-mentioned white sugar, granulated sugar, rough white sugar, rough medium sugar, powdered sugar, wasanbon sugar, brown sugar, and soft brown sugar; oligosaccharides other than sucrose such as glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose, trehalose, raffinose, and lactulose; sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, erythritol, maltitol, xylitol, and lactitol; molasses, starch syrup, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, dextrin, cyclodextrin, isomerized liquid sugar, and oligosaccharides and syrups such as various oligosaccharides.

[0049] In a non-limiting optional embodiment of the present invention, the foam obtained through step A may be substantially free of emulsifiers, so that the flavor of the resulting cake is not impaired by the off-flavor of the emulsifier.

[0050] Here, the term "emulsifier" as used herein has the same meaning as that understood by those skilled in the art. Specific examples include additives that are permitted to be labeled under the collective name of emulsifier in the food labeling standards based on the Food Labeling Act, such as glycerin fatty acid esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerin organic acid fatty acid esters, polyglycerin condensed ricinoleic acid esters, calcium stearoyl lactylate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, and lecithin (including enzyme-treated lecithin, enzyme-decomposed lecithin, and fractionated lecithin).

[0051] On the other hand, they may contain trace amounts of ingredients such as lecithin, monoacylglycerol, and diacylglycerol, which are commonly found in wheat flour, eggs, dairy products, and fats and oils that are used as ingredients in cake batters, cakes, and confectioneries. However, these are not intentionally added, but are unavoidably mixed in, and so can be considered to be "substantially free of emulsifiers."

[0052] In this specification, the specific standard for "substantially not containing an emulsifier" means that the content of the emulsifier in the cake dough is preferably 0.05% by mass or less, more preferably 0.01% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.005% by mass or less, and most preferably 0.001% by mass or less.

[0053] Although not limited thereto, the foamed material may be prepared by adding water. In this case, the amount of water added is preferably 1 to 50 parts by mass, and more preferably 10 to 30 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material content in the cake dough.

[0054] Although not limited thereto, the specific gravity of the foamed material is preferably 0.2 to 0.7, and more preferably 0.3 to 0.6.

[0055] The specific gravity of the foamed material can be measured, for example, by filling a measuring cup of a certain volume with the foamed material, measuring the mass of the foamed material in the cup, and dividing the mass by the volume of the measuring cup to obtain the specific gravity of the foamed material.

[0056] Meanwhile, in the above step B, the means for mixing the obtained foamed product with the starch raw material is not particularly limited, as in step A. For example, a mixer belonging to the forced foaming machine category can be used. Specifically, a continuous mixer that mixes gas in a pipe and mechanically stirs, such as a Mondo mixer, Oakes mixer, or Turbomix, or a pressure mixer that incorporates a large amount of air by high-speed mixing under pressure, can be used. On the other hand, a vertical mixer, horizontal mixer, slurry mixer, and the like that foam while mixing air in the atmosphere under atmospheric pressure are not included in the forced foaming machine category, but may also be used. Among these, a vertical mixer is more preferable because it is easy to handle.

[0057] In a non-limiting optional aspect of the present invention, the method for producing cake batter may include step C of combining and mixing the foamed material with the fat after step A and before step B. In this case, a part of the fat may be combined with the egg raw material and pullulan to be foamed in step A, and another part of the fat may be mixed with the foamed material in step C, or in another aspect, all of the fat may be combined with the foamed material in step C. However, a preferred aspect of the present invention is an aspect in which all or a part of the fat is combined with the egg raw material and pullulan to be foamed in step A.

[0058] Although not limited, the content of starchy ingredients in the cake batter is preferably 15 to 40% by mass, more preferably 20 to 30% by mass, and even more preferably 23 to 30% by mass. In this case, the starchy ingredients preferably contain wheat flour, which may be soft flour. Furthermore, the proportion of wheat flour in the starchy ingredients is preferably 60 to 100% by mass, more preferably 70 to 100% by mass, and even more preferably 80 to 100% by mass.

[0059] Although not limited thereto, the total content of the egg ingredient derived from the foamed material and other egg ingredients in the cake dough is preferably 70 to 200 parts by mass, and more preferably 120 to 200 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starchy ingredients in the cake dough.

[0060] Although not limited thereto, the total content of the egg yolk derived from the foamed material and other egg yolks in the cake batter is preferably 20 to 70 parts by mass, and more preferably 40 to 65 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material in the cake batter.

[0061] Although not limited thereto, the total content of the fats and oils derived from the foamed material and other fats and oils in the cake dough is preferably 5 to 40 parts by mass, and more preferably 5 to 20 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material in the cake dough.

[0062] Although not limited thereto, the total content of the phytic acid derived from the foaming agent and other phytic acids in the cake batter is preferably 0.1 to 10 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.5 to 5 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material in the cake batter.

[0063] Although not limited thereto, the total content of the sugar ingredient derived from the foaming agent and other sugar ingredients in the cake dough is preferably 100 to 160 parts by mass, and more preferably 120 to 140 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the starch ingredient in the cake dough.

[0064] Although not limited thereto, the cake dough preferably has a moisture content of 26 to 40% by mass, more preferably 32 to 40% by mass.

[0065] In a non-limiting optional aspect of the present invention, the cake batter may be substantially free of emulsifiers. This prevents the flavor of the resulting cake from being impaired by the off-flavor of the emulsifier. In this specification, the meanings of "emulsifier" and "substantially free of emulsifiers" are as described above.

[0066] The cake batter described above can be formed into a predetermined shape by a conventional method and then subjected to a heat treatment such as baking to obtain a cake. More specifically, the cake batter can be poured into a cake mold suitable for the purpose, or poured onto an iron plate to a certain thickness, and then heated in an oven or steamer to obtain a cake.

[0067] The cake to which the present invention is applicable is not particularly limited as long as it contains starchy ingredients, eggs, and fats and oils as ingredients, and examples thereof include sponge cakes (chiffon cake, butter sponge cake, castella cake, angelica cake, etc.), baumkuchen, and steamed cakes with whipped batter.

[0068] On the other hand, from another perspective, the application of the present invention includes application to a composite confectionery made by combining the cake described above with other confectionery ingredients. Specifically, a composite confectionery including the cake can be obtained by sandwiching or placing creams (fresh cream, whipped cream, butter cream, custard cream, etc.), butter, jam, fruit, etc. between or on top of the cake. In this case, it is preferable that 10% by mass or more of the composite confectionery is the cake. Furthermore, the cake may be substantially free of emulsifiers, and ingredients other than the cake may also be substantially free of emulsifiers, so that the composite confectionery as a whole is substantially free of emulsifiers. In this way, the flavor of the resulting composite confectionery is not impaired by the off-flavor of the emulsifier. In this specification, the meanings of "emulsifier" and "substantially free of emulsifiers" are as described above.

[0069] As described herein, the present invention effectively utilizes pullulan as a foaming agent to aid the foaming power of eggs, thereby allowing them to be well aerated and maintaining stable air bubbles in the production of cake dough, cakes, and composite confectioneries containing such cakes.

[0070] Therefore, from another perspective, the present invention provides a foaming agent containing pullulan as an active ingredient. More specifically, the present invention provides a foaming agent for foaming together with an egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk in the preparation of the cake batter described above. The foaming agent is not particularly limited as long as it contains pullulan. For example, the foaming agent may be in the form of a powder, liquid, paste, or semi-solid. The pullulan content may be 1 to 100% by mass, 5 to 100% by mass, or 10 to 100% by mass.

[0071] In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a foaming agent containing pullulan and phytic acid as active ingredients. More specifically, in the preparation of the cake batter described above, when the egg ingredient containing at least egg yolk is foamed, phytic acid further assists pullulan in foaming the egg ingredient. In this case, phytic acid may be used in a combination with pullulan or separately. The form of the foaming agent is not limited, as described above. For example, when the foaming agent is a combination containing pullulan and phytic acid, the total content of pullulan and phytic acid may be 1 to 100% by mass, 5 to 100% by mass, or 10 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the content ratio of pullulan to phytic acid may be 10:90 to 90:10, 20:80 to 80:20, or 30:70 to 70:30 by mass. Alternatively, when the foaming agent is a separate agent containing phytic acid, the content of phytic acid may be 1 to 100% by mass, 5 to 100% by mass, or 10 to 100% by mass. Furthermore, the form of the foaming agent containing pullulan and / or phytic acid is not particularly limited as long as it contains the active ingredients in a predetermined amount. For example, it may be in the form of a powder, liquid, paste, or semi-solid. [Example]

[0072] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0073] [Test Example 1] (Sponge cake No. 1) When pullulan or phytic acid was added to sponge cake batter, the effects of the addition of pullulan or phytic acid on the properties of the foam before wheat flour was mixed in were investigated. The effects on the texture and internal phase of the resulting sponge cake were also investigated.

[0074] (Preparation of foam) Specifically, ingredients other than wheat flour (eggs, white sugar, rapeseed oil, water, and optionally pullulan and phytic acid) were placed in a 5-coat mixer bowl in an amount twice that of the formulation shown in Table 1 below, and mixed at 3 speed using a wire whip in a vertical mixer (Hobart Japan Co., Ltd.). The pullulan was dissolved in water beforehand and then added to the mixer bowl.

[0075] (Specific gravity of foam) After 5 minutes or 7 minutes had passed since the start of stirring, the specific gravity of each of the resulting foams was measured as shown below.

[0076] The foam was filled into a 200 cc measuring cup, the mass of the foam in the cup was measured, and the value obtained by dividing the mass by the volume (200 cc) of the measuring cup was taken as the specific gravity of the foam.

[0077] (Preparing sponge cake dough) Seven minutes after the start of mixing, the resulting whipped mixture was transferred to another mixer bowl in an amount equal to the composition shown in Table 1 below, and while stirring at first speed using the wire whisk of the vertical mixer, 100 parts by mass of wheat flour according to the composition shown in Table 1 below was added and mixed to obtain a sponge cake dough. The time required for adding the wheat flour and mixing was limited to 60 seconds or less.

[0078] (Specific gravity after mixing powder) The specific gravity of the obtained sponge cake dough was measured as shown below.

[0079] A 200 cc measuring cup was filled with sponge cake batter, the mass of the sponge cake batter in the cup was measured, and the value obtained by dividing the mass by the volume of the measuring cup (200 cc) was used as the specific gravity of the sponge cake batter.

[0080] (Preparation of sponge cake) The obtained sponge cake batter (350 g) was poured into a No. 6 decorative mold and baked in an oven at 170°C for 35 minutes to obtain a sponge cake.

[0081] (Sponge cake evaluation) The resulting sponge cakes were evaluated for texture and internal structure based on the following criteria. The results are shown as the average evaluation by five evaluators.

[0082] (Texture evaluation) ◎: Melts in the mouth much better than Comparative Example 1 ○: Melts in the mouth better than Comparative Example 1 △: Melts in the mouth similar to Comparative Example 1 ×: Meltability in the mouth is worse than that of Comparative Example 1 (Home Minister's evaluation) ◎: The mesh is uniform and wide open 〇: The mesh is evenly open △: Slightly uneven and clogged ×: The mesh is uneven and clogged.

[0083] The results are shown in Table 1.

[0084] [Table 1]

[0085] As a result, the following became clear: (1) Compared with Comparative Example 1 in which no pullulan was added during the preparation of the whipped product, the specific gravity of the whipped product in Examples 1 to 5 in which pullulan was added during the preparation of the whipped product was lower. (2) It was revealed that the sponge cakes obtained with the formulations of Examples 1 to 5 melted better in the mouth and had a more uniform internal phase than the sponge cake obtained with the formulation of Comparative Example 1. (3) In Examples 6 to 8, which further contained phytic acid in addition to the formulation of Example 2, the specific gravity after 5 minutes of mixing in the preparation of the foamed product of Example 2 was 0.43, while in Examples 6 to 8 the specific gravity was 0.37 to 0.38, demonstrating that the aeration operation was carried out more smoothly. Also, in Example 9, which further contained phytic acid in addition to the formulation of Example 3, the specific gravity after 5 minutes of mixing in the preparation of the foamed product of Example 3 was 0.38, while in Example 9 the specific gravity was 0.35, demonstrating that the aeration operation was carried out more smoothly. (4) The sponge cakes obtained in Examples 6 to 9, which used pullulan and phytic acid in combination, melted in the mouth even better than the sponge cakes obtained in Example 2, which used pullulan alone, and had a more uniform internal structure. (5) From the above, it was concluded that the incorporation of pullulan and the combined use of phytic acid helped to maintain good air bubbles in the foamed egg ingredients, thereby producing a sponge cake of good quality.

[0086] [Test Example 2] (Sponge cake No. 2) The sponge cake dough was prepared in the same manner as in Test Example 1, except that carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and other thickening polysaccharides were added to the dough instead of pullulan or phytic acid, to investigate the effect of the addition on the properties of the foam before adding wheat flour. The effects on the texture and inner phase of the resulting sponge cake were also investigated. The carboxymethylcellulose and other thickening polysaccharides were dissolved in water beforehand, as with pullulan in Test Example 1, and then added to the mixer bowl.

[0087] The results are shown in Table 2.

[0088] [Table 2]

[0089] As a result, the following became clear: (1) As can be seen from the results of Comparative Examples 2 to 6, even when carboxymethyl cellulose or other thickening polysaccharides were added during the preparation of the foam, no change in the specific gravity of the foam was observed compared to Comparative Example 1. (2) When compared with the sponge cakes obtained with the blends of Comparative Examples 2 to 6, no improvement in quality was observed. (3) From the above, it was concluded that the incorporation of carboxymethylcellulose and other thickening polysaccharides was not effective in helping the foam to maintain good air bubbles in the foaming agent, and therefore no improvement was observed in the quality of the sponge cake.

[0090] [Reference Test Example 1] (Meringue) When rapeseed oil, pullulan, and phytic acid were added to egg white whipped meringue, the effects of these ingredients on the properties of the whipped product were investigated. The effects on the texture and inner structure of the resulting sponge cake were also investigated.

[0091] Specifically, the raw materials were placed in a 5-coat mixer bowl according to the composition shown in Table 3 below and mixed at speed 3 using a wire whip in a vertical mixer (Hobart Japan Co., Ltd.). Pullulan was dispersed in granulated sugar beforehand and then added to the mixer bowl.

[0092] After 3 minutes or 5 minutes had passed since the start of stirring, the specific gravity of each of the resulting foamed products was measured in the same manner as in Test Example 1.

[0093] The results are shown in Table 3.

[0094] [Table 3]

[0095] As a result, the following became clear: (1) In the case of egg white foam (meringue), the addition of rapeseed oil significantly increased the specific gravity (specific gravity was 0.53 after 3 minutes of mixing and 0.54 after 5 minutes of mixing), while the addition of pullulan or phytic acid did not decrease the specific gravity (specific gravity 0.48-0.52). (2) According to the results of Test Examples 1 and 2, the incorporation of pullulan and the combined incorporation of phytic acid helps maintain good air bubbles in the egg-based foam, resulting in the production of high-quality sponge cakes. It is believed that some component contained in the egg yolk may be responsible for this.

Claims

1. A method for producing cake dough containing starchy ingredients, eggs, and fats and oils as ingredients, A step A of combining the eggs with pullulan and foaming to obtain a foam; and step B of combining and mixing the foamed product with the starchy raw material, The method for producing cake batter, wherein the egg combined with the pullulan in step A is an egg raw material containing at least egg yolk.

2. The method for producing cake dough according to claim 1, wherein in the step A, the oil is further mixed with the egg and the pullulan and foamed to obtain a foamed product.

3. 2. The method for producing cake dough according to claim 1, wherein in the step A, the fat or oil is further combined with the egg and pullulan in the form of the fat or oil raw material in which the oil phase is the continuous phase, and foamed to obtain a foamed product.

4. The method for producing cake dough according to claim 1 , wherein in step A, phytic acid is further added to obtain the foamed substance.

5. The method for producing cake batter according to claim 1 , wherein in step A, a sugar raw material is further added to obtain the foamed material.

6. The method for producing cake dough according to claim 1 , wherein the cake dough is substantially free of emulsifiers.

7. 2. The method for producing cake dough according to claim 1, wherein the pullulan is contained in an amount of 0.3 parts by mass or more and 5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the starch raw material.

8. The method for producing cake batter according to claim 1, wherein the preparation of the whipped material in step A is carried out using a vertical mixer.

9. A method for producing a cake, comprising obtaining a cake dough by the production method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, forming the cake dough into a predetermined shape, and then heat-treating the cake.

10. A method for producing a composite confectionery, comprising obtaining a cake by the method according to claim 9 and combining the cake with other confectionery ingredients to obtain the composite confectionery.

11. The method for producing a composite confectionery according to claim 10, wherein the composite confectionery is substantially free of an emulsifier.

12. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foaming agent used to foam the egg raw material containing at least egg yolk contains pullulan as an active ingredient.

13. The foaming agent according to claim 12, further comprising phytic acid as an active ingredient.

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