Effect of shea butter as a shortening substitute in three cakemaking techniques (creaming, rubbing-in and melting-fat): physical and sensory analyses

Introduction Shea ( Vitellaria paradoxa) butter is a traditional West African fat with growing interest as a functional ingredient in baked products. This study evaluated the physical (dimensional) and sensory properties of cakes produced with varying substitution levels of shea butter for margarine across three independent cake-making systems: creaming, rubbing-in and melted-fat methods. Methods A 3 × 5 factorial design was employed with five fat substitution levels (100% margarine, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 100% shea butter). Cakes were evaluated for dimensional properties (height, weight, and calculated volume) and sensory attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale with fourteen trained panelists. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test at p < 0.05. Results and discussion Results showed that increasing shea butter substitution significantly affected cake volume and sensory attributes depending on the preparation method. The weight, height and volume of the cake samples ranged from 24.33 to 27.0 g, 2.50–2.93 cm and 668.00–784.10 cm 3 for creaming method, from 34.00 to 37.00 g, 3.40–3.67 cm and 948.50–1,138 cm 3 for rubbing-in and from 36.33 to 39.0 g, 2.77–3.23 cm and 802.50–961.80 cm 3 for melting method, respectfully. In the creaming method, substitution levels above 25% significantly reduced volume and overall acceptability (p < 0.05). However, cakes prepared using the rubbing-in and melted-fat methods exhibited greater tolerance to higher substitution levels with moderate sensory acceptance. The findings indicate that shea butter can function as a fat substitute in cake production, although its performance is method-dependent. These results provide insight into the functional behaviour of shea butter in different cake-making systems and support its potential application in bakery formulations.