How did the 3D printed cake come about and what does it taste like?

Cake is an ancient Western pastry, usually made in an oven. It is very popular among young people because of its tenderness, sweetness, fragrance and softness. Can you imagine that one day, the cake in your hand may be 3D printed?

What is 3D printing

The so-called 3D printing is actually the technology of three-dimensional printing. This technology is similar to traditional printing technology. Both require the use of a printer, while 3D printing uses a three-dimensional printer. Unlike traditional printing, due to the need for three-dimensional configuration, a three-dimensional model must be created in advance using computer-aided design software, and then the raw materials are loaded into the fuselage. Through computer control, the raw materials are accumulated layer by layer using a laser injector, and finally the blueprint on the computer is turned into a physical object. During the entire process, the computer automatically calculates the size and position of each step to ensure the accuracy of the manufactured object. At present, this technology has been applied to manufacturing, construction, aerospace and other fields, and has also been tried in the field of food processing.

On March 21, the journal npj Food Science published an article describing the process of making 3D cakes. The research team from Columbia University in the United States first designed a cake model on a computer and accurately calculated the amount of different ingredients. Then they made a variety of cheesecakes using whole-wheat cookies, peanut butter, Nutella chocolate sauce, banana puree, strawberry jam, cherry sauce and icing as raw materials.

Are there any restrictions on ingredients for making cakes ?

In principle, the process of 3D printing cakes is somewhat similar to that of building. The building structure needs to apply the principles of mechanics, and the foundation must be stable. Whole-wheat biscuits are used as the base ingredients of each layer of the cake, and peanut butter and Nutella are used as supporting layers to form pits to accommodate softer ingredients such as bananas and jam.

At present, although 3D printing technology is good, not all ingredients can be applied to cake processing. Generally speaking, the raw materials used for 3D printing must be in a paste or semi-liquid state. This means that the various materials must be minced, mixed, concentrated into a slurry, and then loaded into a syringe, and the materials will be heated into a formable shape. Commonly used ingredients include vegetable puree, batter, biscuits, cheese and candy, jelly, frosting, chocolate and fruit puree, etc. Of course, bean protein, bacterial protein, and plant-based artificial meat can also be used with this technology. The fruit and nut cakes we usually eat require placing whole or chopped fresh fruits and nuts during the cake making process, which cannot be achieved through 3D technology.

Image from Tuchong.com

Moreover, 3D printers cannot directly cook food. If the raw materials used are cold, the food needs to be heated and cooked after printing. Therefore, this method is not suitable for ingredients that are not resistant to heating.

What are the advantages of 3D printed cakes?

3D printing technology still has outstanding technical advantages in food processing. First, it can be tailor-made. Because the amount of ingredients can be used accurately, the diversity and quantity of nutrition, vitamins and calories in the cake can be controlled. 3D printed food can be accurately matched and balanced. By changing the program and raw materials, cakes with different tastes, textures, flavors and shapes can be printed.

Second, it simplifies and makes it easier to reproduce. 3D printing can create complex shapes that are either impossible to replicate manually or require a lot of time. Sharing recipes is as simple as transferring digital files over the Internet. All that is needed is the same raw materials, printing settings, and compatible printing equipment. In other words, the same food can be produced in batches without incurring additional costs to achieve mass production.

Third, the entire operation process is mostly done by printer operation, which reduces labor costs and also reduces the risk of transmission of foodborne infectious diseases.

I believe that in the future, 3D printing technology will be applied to more food processing processes. Who knows, one day you will be able to taste it yourself to see if the taste is different.

This article is a work supported by Science Popularization China Starry Sky Project

Author: Zhang Yu

Reviewer: Wu Huaiyu (Researcher at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Produced by: China Association for Science and Technology Department of Science Popularization

Producer: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.