Wow,thanks my dad requested a chocolate cake like his mother made. In the 50's before bakers was bought by Kraft. So I am looking for a moist not dense cake not to sweet. I have been researching recipes. Was confused by all the chocolate powdered,sweet,unsweetened options. I have a few I'm gonna try. Let the cake off begin.
LU is a French biscuit (cookie), probably best known for the ones that have a chocolate layer. Lulu is an American brand of organic chocolate bars. Mirepoix79, could you mean either one of these?
Excellent explanation. I'd expand #3 to mention that Dutched cocoa is alkaline and can affect baking formulas in the opposite direction.
Remembering pH 7 is neutral, cocoa powder can range anywhere from 5.4 (natural) to as high as 8.1 although your average Dutched cocoa is likely no higher than 7.5.
Well, you *could* and it probably be better than not using cocoa at all, but they aren't basically interchangeable. Three main differences you will run into are:
1) Cocoa is unsweetened. Even really dark chocolate will increase the sugar in your recipe. Replacing an ingredient that is very bitter with one that is basically sweet will alter the outcome.
2) Fat solids. The 'creamy' texture of chocolate comes from cocoa butter, the element that is removed to create cocoa powder. That means that the texture of your product will be some heavier, and also that the 'cocoa' flavor is already holding on to the fat solids, it will won't encorporate as well into a batter or dough as cocoa will.
>> Both 1 and 2 contribute to the fact that you are diluting the cocoa flavor by using chocolate instead. Every ounce of sugar and cocoa butter in the chocolate is one ounce less of cocoa-y goodness in your treat.
And 3) (rarely) Some recipes depend on the acidic nature of certain types of cocoa to contribute to the leavening of a recipe, when used with baking soda. In these cases, using chocolate instead would give you very dense results.
i agree with jessm. It depends. Won't be exactly the same, but perhaps in a cake or a cookie recipe, you can melt, and let cool, equal amounts of a dark chocolate and stir it into the batter/dough after you add the sugar and eggs. I wouldn't pulverize it. So if a recipe calls for, say, a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, I'd melt a 1/2 cup of chocolate. You can also try with semisweet chocolate chips.
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Excellent explanation. I'd expand #3 to mention that Dutched cocoa is alkaline and can affect baking formulas in the opposite direction.
Remembering pH 7 is neutral, cocoa powder can range anywhere from 5.4 (natural) to as high as 8.1 although your average Dutched cocoa is likely no higher than 7.5.
1) Cocoa is unsweetened. Even really dark chocolate will increase the sugar in your recipe. Replacing an ingredient that is very bitter with one that is basically sweet will alter the outcome.
2) Fat solids. The 'creamy' texture of chocolate comes from cocoa butter, the element that is removed to create cocoa powder. That means that the texture of your product will be some heavier, and also that the 'cocoa' flavor is already holding on to the fat solids, it will won't encorporate as well into a batter or dough as cocoa will.
>> Both 1 and 2 contribute to the fact that you are diluting the cocoa flavor by using chocolate instead. Every ounce of sugar and cocoa butter in the chocolate is one ounce less of cocoa-y goodness in your treat.
And 3) (rarely) Some recipes depend on the acidic nature of certain types of cocoa to contribute to the leavening of a recipe, when used with baking soda. In these cases, using chocolate instead would give you very dense results.