Relative effects of ingredients on cake staling based on an accelerated shelf-life test

An accelerated shelf-life test was developed to estimate the texture of dev il's food cake stored 21 d at 21 degrees C, by studying the effects of pack aging film water permeability and storage temperature over time. Best resul ts were obtained after 7 d at 34 degrees C with low water permeability film s. The test was used to determine the effects of 28 ingredient combinations on the incidence of cake staling. Staling was greatly reduced by partly re placing shortening with butter and glucose with sucrose. To a lesser extent , replacement of natural cocoa with dutched cocoa and use of high concentra tions of fats, sugars, egg whites, or sodium bicarbonate also slowed stalin g rate.