Starch is added to baked foods to make them extra moist, such as in cake formulas, glazes, and fillings. Pregelatinized starch is used in cake mixes to make the cake crumb soft and to retain moisture in the baked product. It also makes the baking process more convenient. Takashima has demonstrated the use of pregelatinized starch and a thermosetting protein for baking sponge cakes in a microwave oven.
Cookies also use pregelatinized starches to control their spread. In glaze mixes, film-forming starches are added to provide an appealing coating that acts as a moisture barrier and reduces stickiness. The starches used can be dextrins, stabilized hydrolyzates, or maltodextrins.
Starches are added to fruit and cream fillings in pies and tarts to thicken and stabilize them. They also prevent boil-out during baking and weeping during distribution. Waxy maize starch is used for fruit fillings, while modified tapioca starch is preferred for cream fillings. Crosslinking is necessary for low-pH fillings and where agitation occurs. Pregelatinized derivatized starches can be used to avoid heating and cooling costs. Unmalted dusting flour and enzyme-free fillings are important when using pregelatinized products.