New diet-friendly, low-fat cake mix under development

Dieters could soon eat frosted cakes and muffins without worrying about it affecting their weight loss, as researchers have been developing low-fat and reduced-calorie alternatives.

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the US have been experimenting with low-fat cake mixes and frostings using Fantesk.

This comprises of micro-droplets of trans-fat-free cooking oil, covered in cornstarch or wheat flour.

Fantesk was developed by chemists from the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in the 1990s.

One of the scientists involved in the new research is Mukti Singh, whose experiments have shown that cake mixes containing Fantesk do not require the addition of cooking oil.

She has also discovered that these mixes produce low-fat cakes with better texture and a higher volume than other reduced-fat versions currently on the market.

Last month, the Daily Mail reported that an ingredient commonly found in shop-bought cakes – glucose-fructose syrup – is what makes such treats so moreish.

Dr Carel Le Roux, consultant in metabolic medicine at Imperial College London, told the newspaper that fructose can artificially boost appetite and cause health problems.

How good are you at avoiding eating cakes?