Soon, cakes, frostings that won't let you pile on the pounds

Washington, Mar 30 (ANI): Thanks to an Indian-origin US scientist, yummy new cakes and frostings may one day contain less fat and fewer calories.

In experiments at her Peoria laboratory, Mukti Singh is formulating low-fat cake mixes and frostings with Fantesk-microdroplets of trans-fat-free cooking oil, encapsulated in cornstarch or wheat flour. Fantesk was developed in the 1990s by NCAUR chemists George Fanta and the late Kenneth Eskins.

Mukti is based at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research (NCAUR) in Peoria, Ill.

Singh's experiments have shown that, when making a cake with a mix that contains Fantesk, cooking oil doesn't have to be added. And, the mixes containing Fantesk produce low-fat cakes that have better texture and a higher volume.

Furthermore, the lower-fat frostings that Singh and Peoria chemical engineer Jeffrey Byars are creating with Fantesk have the smooth texture and spreadability of buttercream favorites, yet contain up to 50 percent less fat. (ANI)