Low fat cake formulation and characterization using wheat germ, rice bran, and pumpkin seeds as a fat replacersDownload PDF Download PDF ArticleOpen accessPublished: 24 July 2026Maha I. K. Ali1,Seham Y. Gebreil2 &Saadia M. Hashem3 npj Science of Food (2026) Cite this article We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.SubjectsBiochemistryBiotechnologyHealth carePlant sciencesAbstractIn the context of increasing interest in healthy and sustainable nutrition, the food industry is challenged to develop innovative products that combine high nutritional quality with consumer acceptance. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate wheat germ (WG), pumpkin seeds (PS), and rice bran (RB) powders as natural fat replacers in cakes, incorporated at levels of 60% WG, 60% PS, and 40% RB. The formulated cakes were evaluated for physicochemical properties, mineral and vitamin composition, color attributes, texture profile, microbial stability, and sensory quality. Cakes containing WG showed the highest levels of protein, dietary fiber, phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as elevated vitamins (E and B-complex) and minerals. These samples also exhibited increased firmness, gumminess, and chewiness compared to the control. Cakes with RB showed higher antioxidant activity and improved mineral content. No significant differences were observed in overall sensory acceptability among all formulations. Moreover, all fortified cakes demonstrated improved microbial stability during storage. Overall, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and rice bran powders can be effectively utilized as natural fat replacers to produce nutritionally enhanced, antioxidant-rich, and microbiologically stable cake products with acceptable sensory properties.FundingOpen access funding provided by The Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB).Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsDepartment of Special Food and Nutrition, Food Technology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, EgyptMaha I. K. AliCrops Technology Research Department, Food Technology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, EgyptSeham Y. GebreilFood Science and Technology Department, Faculty of Agriculture (EL-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21545, EgyptSaadia M. HashemAuthorsMaha I. K. AliView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSeham Y. GebreilView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarSaadia M. HashemView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorCorrespondence to Saadia M. Hashem.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Additional informationPublisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Rights and permissionsOpen Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Reprints and permissionsAbout this articleDownload PDF