How to Substitute Cocoa Powder for German Chocolate Bar in German Chocolate Cake
German chocolate cake, known for its dark chocolate flavor, toasted coconuts, bittersweet chocolate icing and roasted nuts, is not a product of Germany at all. Rather, the company Bakers Chocolate, founded in 1852 by Samuel German, released a recipe for German's chocolate cake in the mid-1950s. To make this decadent dessert, most recipes call for a bar of sweet chocolate or a mix of semisweet chocolate pieces and unsweetened chocolate pieces. However, you can substitute cocoa powder by using a few simple steps. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Understand the differences between a chocolate bar and cocoa powder. A bar of baking chocolate is used in many recipes for German chocolate cake because of the chocolate and sugar contents. In addition, a chocolate bar makes for a thicker batter texture. Dutch-process cocoa powder, while a substitute for a chocolate bar, is treated with an alkali in order to neutralize the acids. As a result, cocoa powder might not react as well as a chocolate bar in cakes unless other acidic ingredients, such as baking powder, are added to create the leavening effect. Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder is not treated with alkali and is more bitter than dutch-processed cocoa. Use baking soda with this for the leavening effect. Consult the recipe for the cake, and consider adding baking powder or soda if lacking. All cocoa powder can also have a drying or strengthening effect in cakes, so if you are substituting cocoa powder for a chocolate bar, consider adding a few teaspoons more butter.
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Determine the amount and type of chocolate needed. Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate will require the addition of sugar in substitution, but unsweetened chocolate will not. For every one ounce of unsweetened chocolate, use three tablespoons of cocoa powder. For every one ounce of sweet baking chocolate or German chocolate bar, use two tablespoons of cocoa powder.
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Measure and dissolve the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder has the richest and fullest flavor when it is first dissolved in boiling water. Many German chocolate cake recipes call for melting a chocolate bar in water, so simply boil the same amount of water and mix it with the needed cocoa powder. If the recipe does not call for water, but it does require another liquid, heat that liquid thoroughly and mix with the cocoa powder.
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Prepare the cocoa powder mixture. If substituting cocoa powder for sweetened chocolate, mix the dissolved two tablespoons of cocoa powder with four teaspoons of sugar and two teaspoons of melted butter for every one ounce. If substituting for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, stir the dissolved one tablespoon plus one and three-fourths of a teaspoon of cocoa with one tablespoon plus one-half teaspoon of white sugar and one and one-half teaspoons of melted butter for every one ounce. If substituting for unsweetened chocolate, melt one tablespoon of butter with the dissolved three tablespoons of cocoa for every one ounce.
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Mix with the other ingredients. Once the cocoa has been appropriately substituted, continue with the rest of the cake. Consider sprinkling the cake with a dash of cocoa powder for more bitter chocolate taste.
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