The optimization of the formulation for a chocolate cake containing inulin and yacon meal

Summary The research aimed at determining, using surface response methodology, an optimal chocolate cake formulation when wheat flour was partially replaced with inulin and/or yacon meal. The yacon meal used in the formulation was prepared by using tuberous roots of yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia Poepp. & Endl.). The optimization indicated that a formulation with 20% of the wheat flour replaced with yacon meal, 153 mL of water and no inulin showed the best values for hardness (3.638 N), cohesiveness (0.691) and specific volume (1.86 cm3 g−1). A formulation with 40% of the wheat flour replaced with yacon meal, 6% replaced with inulin and containing 126 mL of water showed similar values to the optimized formulation for the three responses mentioned earlier but, in addition, it had a greater content of fructooligosaccharides and inulin. Consequently, both formulations may give useful functional foods with physical parameters comparable with the control formulation.