Natural cocoa powder

As a result of not having been alkalinized, which results in naturally occurring sour, bitter, and astringent characteristics, natural cocoa powder has the lightest hue of all cocoa powders. Science Direct claims that real cocoa powder has a higher concentration of the polyphenols that make it a nutritious meal and that its inherent bitterness can be used to counteract the sweetness in recipes. The term "cocoa powder" in a U.S. recipe often refers to natural cocoa powder.

Because of its acidity, natural cocoa powder is often asked for in recipes where baking soda is used as a rising agent. This acidity reacts with baking soda's alkaline nature, giving your chocolate-flavored baked goods a proper rise. Natural cocoa powder's fat level can range greatly, from Hershey's Cocoa Powder's 10% fat to higher-fat varieties like Gerbs Allergy Friendly Foods, which has a 21.4 percent fat content.

According to Hershey, unsweetened baking chocolate can be replaced with natural cocoa powder by using three tablespoons of cocoa powder for every ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate and one tablespoon of shortening to replace the cocoa butter present in baking chocolate. Additionally, it can be used to provide a fruity, bittersweet flavor to hot cocoa and to lighten the color of icing. Before consumers started demanding a more vibrant red and bakers turned to food coloring, the anthocyanins in the natural cocoa powder were responsible for the reddish hue of early versions of red velvet cake, according to Mashed.