Are Black And Dark Chocolate Cocoa The Same Thing?

Even if you love to bake, chances are you probably haven't thought that much about cocoa powder. That is, you don't think about it until you find a recipe that calls for something specific, like black cocoa powder. This super dark, chocolatey ingredient is somewhat new to the home-baking scene, but it's actually been around for a long time as the starring ingredient in one of the world's most-loved sandwich cookies: Oreos.

You might be tempted to swap out whatever cocoa powder you have hanging around in the pantry for black cocoa, but depending on the recipe, it's worth taking the time to find the real thing. All cocoa powders might seem the same (or at least look similar) at first glance, but they're actually quite different in terms of taste, color, and composition. All cocoa powder is made from the same cocoa beans, so the difference isn't the source of the cocoa powder itself.

It all comes down to how each powder is created. Both black cocoa and dark cocoa are created using something called "Dutch processing," but black cocoa is Dutch-processed to the max, which creates a deep, dark chocolate flavor and color — perfect for something unique like a black forest cake . On the other hand, natural cocoa powder is different from these varieties because, as the name suggests, it's not processed.

What is Dutch processing? Unless you're a pastry chef or an experienced baker, you probably only keep one kind of cocoa powder in your kitchen cabinet, and it's probably a Dutch-proces.