LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY PUREE AND APPLESAUCE FOR OIL REPLACEMENT IN CAKE SYSTEMS

Purees made from cull lowbush blueberries and applesauce were used as equal volume replacements for vegetable oil in commercial spice and ch ocolate cake mixes. Cake batters containing fruit generally had lower specific gravity and pH than did batters containing oil. Blueberry pur ee darkened cakes, but neither fruit puree affected compressibility. L ipids, calories, and cake moisture were significantly reduced by using the fruit purees. Protein was not affected; ash varied slightly. A co nsumer panel (n=108) evaluated all cakes for acceptability. Spice cake color with blueberry puree was least acceptable; flavor and moistness were judged to be less acceptable for chocolate cakes containing blue berries. These results indicate that while apple-sauce could be substi tuted for oil in cakes to reduce lipids without sacrificing quality, s ome modifications in formulation are necessary before blueberry puree will achieve the same results.