
Types of cocoa powder
There are basically main 2 types of cocoa powder, the natural cocoa powder and the Dutch-process cocoa powder.
Natural cocoa (cacao powder) -solid unsweetened chocolate that has most of its fat removed before grinding into powder. It’s more acidic. Lighter in colour and has stronger chocolate flavour with bitter and sour notes intact. Natural cocoa has higher nutritional value as compared to Dutched cocoa.
Dutch- process cocoa- natural cocoa being treated with alkalising agent to lower its acidity, allowing more of its chocolate note to surface. The higher the pH, the darker the colour.
The main difference of selecting either natural or Dutch cocoa, mainly depending on whether the recipe contains leavening agent or not, if yes, it’s either baking soda or baking powder.
If your recipe needs to use baking soda to leaven, and there is nothing acidic (other ingredients) in the recipe, select natural cocoa powder to use, because it is acidic and it reacts with alkalise baking soda to create CO2 bubbles, which helps in the rising process in the oven. (Raising the cake in the oven)
Please consider acidic ingredients, including sour cream, yogurt, coffee, buttermilk, vinegar, brown sugar, and also fruit purées.
If baking powder is being used, there is not much to worry when selecting cocoa powder to apply, that is because baking powder contains both acidic and alkalise parts, no problem in using either natural or Dutch cocoa powder.
There are many types of Dutch cocoa powder, mainly being explained into lightly dutched or heavily dutched. Heavily dutched (higher pH) could result in darker cocoa powder colour, and intense chocolate flavour. And we have reddish Dutch cocoa, giving appealing reddish colour, and also Bensdorp Dutch cocoa, a high fat Dutch- process cocoa.
Interesting part is making brownies, the types of cocoa powder determine the quality and taste of the brownies. Best recommended cocoa is heavily dutched type as it resulting having darker colour brownies ( darker colour denotes more chocolat-y, like dark chocolate), and more intense bittersweet taste.
Bensdorp cocoa powder, or reddish cocoa powder, best used in making fudge sauce, as it has higher fat that creates creamy mouthfeel, and reddish appealing colour.
Normally old school recipes, easily baking soda is in use, and best paired with natural cocoa powder.
Heavily dutched cocoa such as black cocoa, is the most suitable type when you want to make signature Oreo colour type of product.
Some people create unique secret recipes by combining 2 types of cocoa powder, the natural and the Dutch-process, and thus brings out the synergies between 2.
In types of product where the fat content can be derived from other fats ingredients, such as in ice cream, milk fat is more important, hence a lower fat content cocoa powder can be used.
Some premium packing cocoa powder has been mixed with 20%-22% cocoa butter, ideal for premium baking, but hard to dissolve in making hot cocoa.