Development of Steamed Sponge Cake (Pui Fai) Supplemented with Mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora Wall.) Powder

Abstract

The steamed sponge cakes are an ancient Thai dessert, enhanced by the addition of mugwort (Artemisia lactiflora Wall.) powder for variety. The objective of this study was to develop steamed sponge cakes supplemented with mugwort powder by examining 4 levels of supplementation at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% of the total wheat flour ingredient weight. The results indicated that the panelists accepted the steamed sponge cake supplemented with 2 % mugwort powder. The mean scores for color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall liking were 7.50, 7.03, 7.23, 7.10, and 7.30, respectively, which indicated a moderate level of preference. The physical and chemical properties of steamed sponge cakes supplemented with mugwort powder revealed that for colour value, the L* (lightness) value decreased, the b* (yellowness) value increased, and the a* value shifted toward negative (green) as the amount of mugwort powder increased. The increasing greenness was attributed to chlorophyll, the major pigment in mugwort powder. Higher levels of mugwort powder also resulted in greater hardness than the control formulation (p≤0.05), while the water activity (aw) values of all 4 samples did not differ significantly (p>0.05). These findings demonstrated the potential for developing steamed sponge cakes supplemented with mugwort powder that maintain their traditional identity and serve as a suitable option for health-conscious consumers.