Monday, February 08, 2010

Natural VS Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder or These are Not the Same

Not the Same



Back in September, I wanted to bake the hubby a birthday cake--an extra special awesome birthday cake for an extra special awesome husband. So, naturally, while I was shopping for ingredients and came upon a Dark Chocolate Cocoa powder, I figured it could do nothing but up the awesome factor.

Only the cake turned out to be a gooey mess.

I couldn't quite get it out of my head that the cocoa powder was somehow to blame. So, when I decided I wanted to make chocolate cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, I paid close attention to the recipe when it noted that the cocoa needed to be natural, not dutch processed.

Turns out there's a difference. In short, dutched processed goes in recipes with baking POWDER, and natural goes in recipes with baking SODA. Turns out my super awesome dark chocolate cocoa powder? A mix of natural and dutch processed. And the recipe? Called for baking soda.

So this time, we made sure to get the natural cocoa powder (as called for) and the cake was perfect. Fluffy and chocolaty and delicious.

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