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Palm Oil Applications - Shortenings

The functionality of shortenings to be used in cakes, "buttercream" fillings, biscuits and pastry is dependent on several factors, such as:

A smooth consistency to facilitate mixing & a fine crystal structure in the solid fat phase.
This contributes to smoothness, and is essential in cake making and creaming applications.


Electron micrograph of air bubble in cake batter.
The surface of the bubble is entirely lined with fat crystals. Magnification: 10,000 times.


The photograph above shows an air bubble in a cake batter, and it can be seen the bubble is lined by fat crystals.

The small fat crystal enables minute air bubbles to be trapped and retained in the cake batter. These air bubbles then act as nuclei for the finished aerated cake structure. As the batter is cooked, steam is evolved, diffuses into the existing air cells, and enlarges them. The delicate crumb structure of a cake depends on a fine air cell distribution.

A further requirement in bakery shortenings is that they should not melt too quickly during baking. The fat must retain the air bubbles until the cooking process has created structural materials from the other ingredients, mainly gelatinizing starch and egg proteins.


Profiles of test cakes:
A made from the control formula and B from a palm-based formula.

. These criteria can be met by a large variety of ingredients, suitably blended. A number of palm based formulas have been extensively examined in the test bakery and Table 2 gives those producing consistently the best results.

Formulae 1 2 3
Hardened Palm Oil ( m. pt. 40 - 42°C ) 18 - -
Palm Stearin 42 50 -
Rapeseed Oil ( Low erucic acid ) 40 50 -
Palm Olein ( interesterified ) - - 100
Baking TestVolume as percent of standard 101 101 99


The standard fat used in the baking comparisons was a high quality product from an international manufacturer, and was selected as superior to other brands available. The results obtained for the palm based fats are indistinguishable in volume and also in respect of texture and crumb structure of the cake. The photographs on the following page show test cakes being taken out of the rotary oven and the profiles or test. The solid fat content curves are shown in Chart 3. Note that experimental fats 2, 3 and 4 are very close in solids content to the control at temperatures of 25°C and above. These are the temperatures at which mixing and handling of cake batters, pastry and biscuit doughs usually takes place.

Curve No. 5 represents an experimental blend of an unconventional type. The flavour of butter is particularly valued in flour confectionery of all types. However, butter on its own has rather poor aerating properties, so that rather dense cakes of poor crumb structure are obtained. The experimental blend of 60% hardened palm oil (m.pt. 40-42°C) and 40% butter fat gave a cake equal to the other fats in Table 2 in volume and crumb structure, with the added attraction of natural butter flavor.

Many manufacturers in countries that are major producers of liquid oils such as rapeseeds, soya or sunflower oils, use them in partially hydrogenated forms as major components of shortenings. In this case, it is difficult to obtain a fine smooth structure because of the tendency of these fats to form rather coarse beta type crystals. It has been established that the incorporation of 15-20% palm oil in formulas based on these hydrogenated oils induces the desirable beta prime type of crystals, and consequently improves performance. This property is equally important in margarines. The shortening formulas in Table 2 are equally suitable for use in various shots pastry and biscuit recipes.

Texturized palm oil on its own, although it has a suitable solid fat content, does not have the right mixing properties for these products. However, one application is of interest. Palm oil can be used as the fat in a convenient "ready mix" short pastry for household use. The mixture is placed in cold store, when it develops a hard brittle texture. It is then mixed with the other ingredients in a powder mixer. All the ingredients are precooled and the mixer is also cooled. Under these conditions, a good distribution of the fat is obtained; but the finished mix retains a powdered form, and can be filled into retail packs using conventional powder packing equipment.


 

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