Gerkens Dark Cocoa
Why Our Dark Cocoa Rules? A Glimpse Into the Whole Process
Introduction
Dark cocoa powder is the type of cocoa that has a deep, dark cocoa brown color and a strong or mild flavor, depending on the variant. It’s one of the most popular types of cocoa powders on the market right now.
Dark cocoa powder usually refers to the regular natural cocoa powder which has been alkalized to make it appear black.
Our dark cocoa powders would give your cakes or other baked goods an exquisite appearance and a rich yet mild chocolate flavor.
Let’s learn more about our dark cocoa powder.
What is Dark Cocoa Powder and What It is Used For?
Well, dark cocoa powder is just a processed form of natural cocoa powder. The ultra dutch-processing has increased its’ pH content making it taste milder than its regular natural cocoa powder alternatives. Despite the extra dark appearance, the taste of our dark cocoa would be a milder and lot less acidic.
Dark cocoa powders are often employed to get the desired, black appearance in different recipes. Some examples are:
- Velvety dark chocolate cakes
- Halloween cakes
- Oreos
- Birthday parties
- Dark chocolate hot cocoa
- Dark chocolate ice cream
- Dark hot chocolate
The best part about our dark cocoa powder is that it would darken your preferred baked goods without the need for adding a food color. Which will keep the foods healthy and would taste delicious at the same time. However, the amount of cocoa butter or powder used in each food drink would greatly influence the texture and the taste.
Can I Use Gerkens Dark Cocoa Instead of Regular Cocoa?
You can definitely use the Gerkens Dark Cocoa powder instead of the regular cocoa. Especially if your recipe requires less than ¾ cup cocoa, it shouldn’t have any issues whatsoever.
However, you should keep in mind the following factors while using replacing regular with dark cocoa powder:
Your Baked Goods May be Drier
One of the things that you may notice is that your baked items may seem a bit dry instead of the creamy texture you may have expected. This happens due to the fact that dark cocoa is almost no fat, which minimizes the possibility of developing a creamy texture. In that case, you use yogurt or sour cream to make your cakes more moist and fudgy.
The Baked Items May Shrink
Another possible issue with using Dutch processed cocoa powder is that the baked items may not rise as the dark cocoa may not react well with baking soda because of the alkalization. If that’s the case you can add one or two tablespoons of baking powder to make your baked goods rise.
Is Dark Cocoa Okay to be Used in Frosting?
Our specially developed dark cocoa powder would be an ideal item to be used in chocolate frosting. The good thing about the black cocoa powder is that it will give your frosting a deliciously dark appearance everyone would be drooling for.
Does Dark Cocoa Taste Different?
Many often have a misconception that dark cocoa would be bitter, however, the opposite is true. Because of the alkalization, it tastes a lot milder than the non-alkalized variants. However, the rich chocolaty flavor would be present.
How to Store Cocoa Powder Properly
Storing the cocoa powder properly is extremely important if you want to maintain the quality over time. Here are some crucial considerations you must take into account while storing cocoa powder:
- Use lidded airtight jars (go for glass jars instead of plastic ones for health reasons)
- Make sure you’re securing the lid after every use. If you’re not careful enough the air may pass through and clump the powder.
- Always store the jars in dry and cool areas.
- Never store the cocoa powder in your fridge
- Avoid humid and shabby areas
- Our cocoa powders can be used for up to two years, but it’s better to consume earlier as the flavor does decrease slightly with time.
If you follow the above-mentioned instructions, it can be expected that your cocoa powder will remain in fresh conditions for a longer duration.
Why does Gerkens Dark Cocoa Stand Out?
Our dark cocoa is one of the few best cacao powders because it has been carefully selected from Africa’s finest growing regions like Ivory Coast and Ghana. We believe that the quality of our cocoa powder depends on the quality of its beans.
Our team of bean specialists works directly with farmers in Africa to find the best cocoa beans for us to use. We then carefully screen, roast, and grind each batch of beans to achieve a consistent taste and texture.
The main reason why dark cocoa is so popular is that it has a smooth taste. It has a rich flavor that makes it perfect for baking or any other cooking recipe where you need to add some depth of flavor to your dish.
Dark Cocoa is Highly Nutritious
One of the best things about dark cocoa is it’s tremendously nutritious ( you can have both with added sugar and sugar-free). It’s rich in antioxidants which help reduce the risk of diseases.
Moreover, the increased fiber content present in dark cocoa would help normalize bowel movement. Dark cocoa is a rich source of iron, zinc, and magnesium for better growth and increased work capacity.
Copper and phosphorus found in dark cocoa help form and strengthen the bones and teeth.
The best part about having dark cocoa is that it offers quality support for people with heart disease. It also minimizes the risk of stroke.
Refresh Your Mood With Our Dark Cocoa
One thing about dark cocoa is that they’re filled with flavanols. Flavanols are one of the best elements that would improve your cognitive functions. As a result, consuming dark cocoa can help refresh your mind to a certain degree.
The unsweetened cocoa powder which is processed in a manner that retains nutritional value would offer you a better experience in this regard. And the good news is, that we at, Gerkens use a world-class filtration mechanism to offer you cocoa recipes enriched with brain-boosting flavanols. So, you feel more relaxed and energetic for your next project!