My recipe calls for natural cocoa powder. All I ever have is Valrhona. Can I use it? I get so confused about dutched and natural

Stephanie G
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2 Comments

boulangere April 29, 2011
If you using "dutched"cocoa, it's been treated with an alkalai to reduce some of its acidity and make it easier to incorporate. Your recipe calls for baking soda, right? It's there to neutralize the acid in the natural cocoa, which is a little higher than in "dutched" cocoa. The moral of the story: if you're subbing dutched for natural, reduce your baking soda by 25%.
 
ChefJune April 29, 2011
I just googled it, and it seems Valrhona cocoa is dutched. That might make it unsuitable for your recipe. I've used cocoas interchangeably and have never noticed any detrimental effects.
 
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