Natural Cocoa Powder

• All cocoa powder is made by removing three-fourths of the cocoa butter from the chocolate liquor and processing the resulting powder until fine. Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder still contains the naturally occurring acid found in chocolate. As a result, this cocoa powder reacts with the alkali baking soda called for in red velvet cake recipes, helping your cupcakes to rise. The amount of cocoa in red velvet cakes varies from 1 teaspoon to 1/4 cup or more. Recipes made with vinegar and baking soda can handle small amounts of natural cocoa powder. Recipes calling for larger amounts of cocoa rely on the leavening powers of enzymes found in sour milk, sour cream and buttermilk.

Dutch-Processed Powder

• Cocoa powder labeled as Dutch-processed has been alkalized, or treated with an agent that neutralizes the acid. As a result, Dutch-processed cocoa doesn’t react with baking soda like natural cocoa powder does, which means it won’t help your cupcakes to rise unless another leavening agent is added. Recipes for red velvet cake that specify Dutch-processed cocoa powder call for baking powder to serve as the rising agent. Dutch-processed cocoa is desired for its mild, bitter-free taste and its deeper color; it also dissolves more easily in liquids than natural cocoa powder.

Dark or Black Cocoa Powder

• Red velvet cake recipes typically specify unsweetened cocoa powder, and some call for dark cocoa. Dark cocoa is heavily Dutch-processed, containing no acid and very little fat. Recipes that specify dark cocoa use additional fat to compensate for the dry powder. Using dark or black cocoa powder deepens the chocolate color of baked goods and intensifies the red in red velvet cupcakes. Some cocoa powder labeled as dark cocoa might be sweetened, so check the label and look for unsweetened. Cocoa powders with sweetener are designed for use in hot chocolate beverages and not as a cake batter ingredient.

Substituting Cocoa Powders

• Red velvet cake recipes calling for cocoa powder adjust the amount of fat and leavening normally called for in cake batter to compensate for the chemical properties of cocoa powder. Precise combinations of baking powder and baking soda are used, in addition to moisture-giving dairy ingredients. Cocoa powder can affect baking times; the more cocoa powder used, the longer the baking time. Because of all the variations to consider, JoyofBaking.com recommends using the kind of cocoa powder called for in your cake recipe rather than substituting one type for another.