Sensory evaluation of cakes prepared with orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (Ipomoea batatas L.)

objective: to assess students′ acceptability and preference for cakes prepared with orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (ipomoea batatas l.). materials and methods: the cakes were prepared with wheat flour (sample a) and a mixture where 40% of the wheat flour was replaced by orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (sample b). questionnaires were applied to 100 students between 10 and 12 years old from a public school in the city of rio de janeiro; sensory acceptance and preference tests were also applied. results: participants were on average 11,7 years old, 80% were 6th graders, 50% were female and 97% of the students reported liking the cakes. in this group, 14% reported consuming cakes less than once a month; 27%, 1-3 times per month; 37%, 1-4 times per week; 19%, 1-2 times a day; and only 2% reported never consuming them. both cakes had high acceptability; with an average score of 9,27 (a) and 9,26 (b) out of a maximum of 10, without any significant differences in preference. cake consumption was part of the children′s eating habits. conclusions: cakes prepared with 40% sweet potato flour were as well accepted as conventional cakes. further, a portion of this cake (60 g) can contribute up to 22% of daily vitamin a needs. key words: sweet potato (ipomoea batatas l.), food fortified, food analysis, sensory evaluation, consumer satisfaction, food preferences.