Black cocoa powder: The Reasons you should use

Black cocoa powder is the only cocoa powder that is neutral or extremely alkaline. The taste of it is soft and delicious, and we think it does not look or feel like chocolate compared to natural cacao powder.

It is often used to make gifts and decoration of yummy foods. If you want cakes, cookies, or other pastries darker black color than coffee, then this is only for you. Think of A cake for Halloween. 

If you have ever eaten Oreo cakes or cookies, the outer part of the cookies is a good and common example of black cocoa. Due to its excellent taste, it is best used in combination with other cacao powder and is often used to enhance color.

Where does black cocoa powder come from?

It is brought from raw cocoa vegetables. It is made from lightly ground organic cocoa beans and is often considered the “best food” because it is packed with quality nutrients and natural cocoa powder. It has a slightly bitter chocolate taste and is perfect for baking and preparing raw desserts. It is also known as Dutch cocoa powder.

This type of this is most similar to natural cocoa powder in the Netherlands where it is treated with an alkaline solution to neutralize the natural acidity of cacao powder, which makes the color darker and gives a bar of very strong chocolate-like flavor.

Use of black cocoa powder

Presentation is the main use of black cacao powder. When a baker makes a cake like a birthday cake, Homemade Oreos, Velvety black chocolate cakes, Halloween Cakes, then this is used to change the color of the cake. It helps to make it darker than coffee and a little bit bitter.

Hershey’s dark special cocoa for baking is the best for baking cake. Dutch cocoa powder is used to make a baking powder that is sugarless and fatless. This dark cocoa comes from cacao and contains a rich chocolate flavor. It is versatile by nature and can be used to prepare a variety of dishes, including pastries and confectioneries.

Black cocoa powder in cake frosting

If you are interested in dark frosting which does not change the color of your mouth, you can make dark chocolate and use this dark cocoa powder instead of regular cacao powder.

Then add the black food color to get the exact flavor that you want. Starting with a reddish-brown glow allows you to use less food coloring if you have started with white.

Black cocoa powder to make black buttercream

All buttercream and cream cake designers know how to struggle during all this work. You should use a full bottle of black color cocoa powder and after that, you will likely only have dark gray.

There is a risk of buttercream pasting, changing the color, changing the taste of the buttercream, not to mention discoloring your teeth and mouth. So if you want to make black butter or other glazes, we recommend this process. 

Since this alone can change the taste of your cake, we recommend using food coloring and cocoa powder together.

We prefer to use the new Color Mill food coloring, which is oil-based and mixes well with fats, so you get a much darker color immediately than liquid or gel-like food colors. The color of the food is very thick so you need to add something to get the very dark color you want.

Patience is the most important thing when making black buttercream. Try to do this for at least a day, preferably as long as possible. 

Is it possible to use black cacao powder in place of regular cacao powder ?

If your recipe needs ¾ or less than ¾ cup of cocoa powder, you can use this instead of regular cacao powder. You have to remember some necessary tips in your mind. 

The first thing that you need to remember: It is almost fat-free. This turns your baked food dry out. If you think that your baked goods are getting fat-free, you can add extra fat to them. Greek yogurt or sour cream can be added to the baked goods as well.

Another thing that you need to remember: It does not react with baking soda. Due to Dutch mixing, baking powder is not suitable for refining your cake. If your recipe contains more than 2/3 cups of cacao powder, you may want to help bake your cake by adding baking soda. Starting with at least 1 tablespoon and add 2 tablespoons if necessary.

Good and bad side of cacao powder

Cocoa contains a lot of caffeine and similar chemicals. Consuming large amounts can cause caffeine-related side effects or problems such as nervousness, excess urination, insomnia, and palpitations. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions and sometimes constipation, and cause migraines too.

Cocoa health benefits include reducing inflammation, improving heart and brain health, controlling blood sugar, managing weight, and keeping skin and teeth healthy. They are nutritious and you can add them to your diet in creative ways.