Understanding the Differences Among Cocoa Powders: Fat Content
What Kind of Fat is Present in Cocoa Powder?
Since cocoa powder originates from the cocoa bean, the only type of fat found in cocoa powder comes from cocoa butter, the same fat found in chocolate.
The fat content of a cocoa powder is determined by the pressing time and pressure in the 5th stage of the cocoa powder-making process. A longer pressing time or more pressure means more fat is pushed out of the cocoa nibs, resulting in a cocoa powder with less fat. The fat content of cocoa powder can range from 0-24%.
Here, Légére 1% Cocoa Powder is shown both dry and wet. You can see that the intrinsic (wet) color of the powder is much deeper and darker than the extrinsic (dry) color. This is due to the relatively higher cocoa content of low-fat cocoa powders.
How Does a Cocoa Powder’s Fat Content Affect My Recipes?
Colour:
Cocoa powders with a higher fat content have a darker color when dry (extrinsic color). However, when used in an application, high-fat cocoa powders will appear lighter in color in the finished product. This is because the fat crystals have now dissolved, leaving just the cocoa solids to give color to the product. Because high-fat powders have a lower cocoa content than low-fat powders, the color is, therefore, lighter when wet than when it is dry.
Structure:
In recipes relying on whipped egg whites for lift (macarons, meringues, some mousses), a defatted cocoa powder will result in greater batter volume and a much airier product.
Fat in other ingredients, like cocoa powder, can bond with the proteins in egg whites, limiting their ability to bond with each other and create an air-trapping structure. Less fat equals better structure, which yields greater volume. Our chefs found that defatted cocoa powder yielded an increase in batter volume in these applications of 20% or more!
Texture:
A lower fat content in a cocoa powder means the powder will contain more starch (naturally occurring). Starch loves to absorb water, so low-fat cocoa powders will yield products that are drier and crumblier than those made with high-fat cocoa powders, which will be dense and fudgy. Think about the texture you desire in your end product - for fudgy brownies or moist sponges, you’ll likely want a higher-fat cocoa powder. For light and airy meringues or crisp sablés, a lower-fat cocoa powder can give the results you want.
In Gelato:
In products like gelato or ice cream, high-fat cocoa powders offer less bitterness and a smoother texture. Combined with dairy in the recipe, they produce a wonderfully creamy texture.
