INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Humans have consumed bakery products for hundreds of years. Among the different bakery products is the cake. Cake is a form of sweet dessert that is typically baked. In its oldest forms, cakes were modifications of breads but now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate and share features with other desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards and pies. Typical cake ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil, a liquid, and leavening agents, such as baking soda and/or baking powder. Common additional ingredients and flavourings include dried, candied or fresh fruit, carrot, nuts, cocoa, and extracts such as vanilla, with numerous substitutions for the primary ingredients. Cakes can also be filled with fruit preserves or dessert sauces (like pastry cream), iced with buttercream or other icings, and decorated with marzipan, piped borders, or candied fruit (Modestus, 2011 and Akubor, 2011).

Cakes are an important baked product in human diet and are usually eaten with soft drinks, juice or tea and are also used as weaning food for infants. Carrot on the other hand is grown on a large scale in Northern Nigeria (Asagbara and Oyewole, 2010). However, it is widely consumed in all parts of Nigeria. Indeed, the consumption of carrot in Nigeria has increased tremendously in recent years because of the increased awareness of its benefits. Among vegetables, carrot is the best source of carotene which is the precursor of vitamin A, an essential nutrient for maintaining health (Heiman, 2010). Carrot also contains oxycarotenoids such as leutin, which has been shown to be protective against colon cancer in man and woman (Jonas, 2011). Appreciable amounts of other vitamins, minerals and anthocyanins are also found in carrot. Though, in Nigeria, local utilization of carrots is mostly limited to direct unprocessed eating. Carrot can be dehydrated, Therefore, dehydrated carrot could be processed into flour for foods to increase vitamin A and mineral contents. Since carrot is a valuable micronutrients source, drying techniques to be employed for this purpose should ensure maximum nutrient retention. With these considerations in mind it means that the production of cake with the blend of carrot and wheat flour will make a rich nutrients food. Therefore, this study will present the production and assessment of acceptability of cake from a blend of carrot and wheat flour.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The preparation of carrot flour Fresh and well graded carrot fruits, wheat flour and other ingredients for the production of carrot cake is a necessity. Hence, the study intends to solve the problems of achieving an enrich tasty carrot cake. Hence, it seeks to solve the problems of;

1. Lack of knowledge for carrot cake production.

2. The acceptability of carrot cake.

3. Inadequate ingredients for carrot cake production.

4. To provide a simple an efficient recipe for carrot cake production.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The aim of this project is to present a study on the production and assessment of acceptability of cake from a blend of carrot and wheat flour.

Therefore, the specific objectives are as follows;

1. To produce carrot cake.

2. To examine the extent of acceptability of carrot cake.

3. To state the ingredients used for carrot cake production.

4. To provide a simple and efficient recipe for carrot cake production.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How can carrot cake be produced?

2. To what extent is the acceptability of carrot cake?

3. What are the ingredients used for carrot cake production?

4. Is a simple and efficient recipe for carrot cake production provided?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study cannot be overemphasized. This is because cake making need to consider the benefits of nutrients that would be contained in the product. Hence, the blend of carrot and wheat flour will help increase nutrients value.

Also, the recipe that will be provided in this study will aid anyone who intend to carryout cake production as business, since it will help the person to have knowledge of carrot cake production.

Also, with this study one could start his/her own cake making business and this will in turn benefits the masses for employment and the government in terms of revenue.