Is "blooming" cocoa necessary in baked goods?
I've read that dissolving cocoa in hot liquids is supposed to make it release its flavors and make it taste more chocolate-y. This sounds useful for things like frostings or no-bake cookies, but does it make a difference if you're going to cook the final product (eg. chocolate cake)?
I tried an A/B test with chocolate cupcakes, but none of the tasters could tell there was a difference. Did I mess up my test or is there really no difference?
Best Answer
The interaction between the liquid and the cocoa during the blooming process and inside of the cupcake batter during baking is not the same.
During blooming, there is only the liquid and the cocoa interacting in a free-flowing liquid matrix, and in the baking, both liquid and cocoa are trapped in a coloidal matrix. If you bloom before you add to the batter, you make the aromatics in the cocoa more available for the taster.
Keep in mind that not everyone has the sensory acuity to notice the difference, so it is up to you if you want to invest the time for that
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Is Blooming cocoa powder necessary?
Cooling your bloomed cocoa powder is an important step because if you prematurely add a hot cocoa mixture into a recipe, you may incidentally precook the other ingredients.Can you use cocoa powder instead of flower?
Cocoa powder is generally about as finely ground as cake flour, so it substitutes most directly in recipes that call for that fine flour. Adding just a little cocoa to a recipe shouldn't require other changes, but more cocoa will need more sugar.Why do you activate cocoa?
Blooming the cocoa powder helps to intensify the chocolate flavor by releasing flavor that is trapped in the solid particles. When the hot liquid is mixed with the cocoa powder it dissolves quickly and thickens up. This can be done with hot water, hot milk, hot coffee, or hot fat.Is cocoa powder important in cake?
The role of cocoa powder in cakes: When used alone in cakes, cocoa powder imparts a full rich chocolate flavor and dark color. Cocoa powder can also be used in recipes with other chocolates (unsweetened or dark) and this combination produces a cake with a more intense chocolate flavor than if the cocoa wasn't present.Do You Have to 'Bloom' Cocoa Powder?
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