The effect of wheat flour treated with superheated steam on the microstructure and rheological behaviors of batter and cake quality

Abstract The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of wheat flour treated with lab‐scale superheated steam on the batter characteristics and cake quality. Superheated steam treatment (SST) significantly decreased the density and viscosity of cake batter, indicating that the treated samples contained more air bubbles in the batter system. This result also was confirmed by a light microscope. Following SST, treated samples exhibited a lower apparent viscosity compared to native samples, decreasing both the consistency index and flow behavior index. Meanwhile, SST increased the storage modulus ( G ′), while it decreased both the loss modulus ( G ′′) and loss tangent (tanδ). These changes in the batter properties influenced the quality of the final cake products. After baking the batters, the treated samples produced cakes with less baking loss and higher volume and quality compared to the native samples. The internal texture exhibited higher porosity and cell density, increasing from 22.9% and 50.3 cells/cm 2 (untreated flour) to 35.6% and 65.1 cells/cm 2 (flour treated at 150 °C for 4 min), respectively. In addition, SST significantly decreased the hardness of the cake, thereby endowing the final products with a softer texture. The results of the present work may be useful for improving the commercial production of high‐quality cakes. Practical applications This research provides a new technique to produce high‐quality cakes. In this work, superheated steam treatment (SST) was found to change the physical characteristics of the cake batter, adding more air bubbles and improving the internal structure of the cake. The results show that SST has great prospects for being incorporated into grain processing methods to improve the quality of the final products. The lab‐scale superheated steam processing technique proposed herein features a shorter processing period compared to conventional thermal processing methods, taking mere minutes, and thereby shortening the overall workflow. This work expands the potential applications of superheated steam technology in the food industry.