Hi there,

Can someone please tell me where I can find that dutch cocoa or a name of any decent cocoa to make a chocolate cake that has that chocolate flavour as well as colour.


Much appreciated..

Zeetra

Hi Zeetra

I know you are a regular visitor to Rotorua - you can get dutched cocoa at Capers Epicurean - but be prepared, it is around $12 a jar.

Peaches

Yes, the Cadburys brand cocoa is definitely inferior now. I phoned Cadburys about a year ago and asked why the colour of the cocoa was so insipid looking and they said that they had moved the manufacturing to Oz and were using their recipe. They then sent me out a packet of cocoa - nz made - but see they have not had enough complaints to move manufacturing (or the recipe) back to NZ. I have since changed to Nestle as at least my chocolate cakes and icing look more inviting.

Zeetra, you will be paying a lot of money for Dutch chocolate but for that special occasion it would be worth it. Maybe too expensive for the family cakes and biscuits though. Try zarbo, sabato or any of the nice deli shops to buy it though. Search online and get it posted. Otherwise try Nestle and see if that helps.

Clare

I have for a while now noticed oyr cocoa is terrible, no colour & no flavour , I too have changed & get dutch now so disappointing that Cadbury's felt the need to change. Their downfall I am sure.

Yes I do frequent Rotorua so I will call in and get some.

Nothing worse than biting into a chocolate cake and having its not taste of anything, very disapointing. To me it has to taste of chocolate.
$12 isnt too bad, if it was around $20, then maybe no..

Thank you for your help, its much appreciated.


Zee

Having also despaired of the insipid Cadbury cocoa I have now bought Fair Trade organic cocoa from our local New World supermarket. It is darker and has no additives. I havent used it yet though. There were two other type of organic cocoa avaliable. Also the Indian supermarket in Montreal St in Christchurch has loose pack cocoa for $6.00 / 500gm which has quite a dark colour.

Barbara

Why don't you phone Cadburys and tell them you have all changed to another brand and why as they genuinely wanted to know but obviously haven't got the hint yet!!

Clare

I recently tried (out of desperation) the home brand cocoa from P & S and was pleasantly suprised. It had a deep colour & a lovely chocolatly flavour. I no longer have the packaging so don't know where it was made, but I will be buying it again!

I too switched cocoa a couple of years ago because of the changes to Cadbury. I now use Sun Valley brand (and it is a very reasonable price, which helps) for most uses, and Nestle for icing or something particularly chocolaty.

About your quest for dutch processed cocoa powder - don't neccesarily jump to that thinking it will give a superior taste/colour etc. It can be quite a different product from "normal" cocoa powders and can often have a much lighter colour and more delicate taste.

Here is a great link explaining the differences:

[www.joyofbaking.com]

"Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used. It has a reddish-brown color, mild flavor, and is easy to dissolve in liquids. Its delicate flavor makes it ideal in baked goods like European cakes and pastries where its subtle flavor complements other ingredients. Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands."

"Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Its intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger."

I did call Cadburys this morning and really they weren't very interested, they just said that it had changed about 18 months ago and that they hadn't had many complaints.

I wondered why Cadbury's cocoa was so bad - I thought it was just a one off "batch" gone wrong, but now see there's not going to be any improvement at all.
Will be changing to Nestle from now on, except for special occasions when I will definitely be using Valhrona cocoa powder, it's awesome!
Ginny

Possibly Cadbury have changed the country they get their cacao beans from. This website [www.allchocolate.com] has info plus a map (click on the words "vary widely from country to country" which will take you to a new page, then click on the small map to get a larger map, and on the larger map click on individual beans to get info and flavour notes). There are other countries though, such as Vietnam, that grow cacao beans but they are not mentioned on the map.

Zeetra, I use equagold dutched cocoa whcih you can get at new world for about $12. I do only use it if I want a really rich taste though. I wouldnt use it for biscuits you were going to give the kids

Thank you so much for the explanation Jenna, a very handy guide!

and thanks for the link J1, am enjoying reading more (Have read most of it before - but I keep getting distracted by chocolate cravings - and go off an a recipe hunt tangent).
I see us becoming more like coffee connoisseurs - LOL (mmm I wonder if they will start fresh roasting chocolate beans to make hot chocolate, would that work??)

Oh wow, thank you for the help ladies.

I will be looking into it for sure.

Our store only has sun valley and cadburys and CD has nestle cocoa..

Wonder if our lovely Aunty Helen can speak to Cadburys, she has some power now lol...


Thank you again...

HI Zeetra,

I've been using dutch cocoa for at least 3 years now and use it for every recipe that requires cocoa (even icing) and the taste is fantastic! I even use it to make the odd cup of hot chocolate (normally in winter). I wouldn't go back to Cadbury's nor Nestle's but I must admit that if you are on a budget Nestle's is better than Cadbury.

I buy 1kg bag from a place called Vetro in Ahuriri, Napier. It is $21 a kg but because it is so strong it goes a long way. If you are interested in the name of the cocoa (don't have it off hand) and Vetro's details, send me a PM.

Hope it helps.

Argie Girl

As a point of interest, if a standard recipe called for 1/2 C cocoa, would you use 1/2 C of dutch cocoa or would that be too rich in flavour.

I guess my question is would you use 1:1 for cocoa to dutch cocoa?

Clare

Hi Zeetra

I agree with you totally, the cocoa is shocking and not improving. I have managed to buy an organic brand from our local Fresh Choice supermarket for around $7 and wow it is fantastic. Comes in a tin, must remember to check the name (I had emptied it into my container). Finding out I need about half the amount so will work out cheaper I hope!

Glad to know now it's not just me thinking I was being blind or something...

Perhaps someone should send this thread to Cadbury. They say they haven't had many complaints but obviously not everyone's bothering to complain to them. If the number of dis-satisfied people on here is anything to go by, there must be many, many more who don't visit this site and are dis-satisfied, too. I do hate that 'head-in-the-sand' attitude; it's almost as if the staff member who took the complaint just can't be bothered. Personally, if I'm going to complain, I always do it in writing. A phone call doesn't always get passed on to the correct person.

Yes I too had wondered when I made some old family recipes why they were a little tasteless. And have started using Dutched Cocoa for special items.

It is frustrating when the quality clearly drops on a standard product. It certainly is not a "new improved formula"!

Hi Clare,

I personally use 1:1 ratio for cocoa to dutch cocoa. You will notice a richer more chocolatey flavour if you use dutch cocoa.

Hope it helps!


Argie Girl

Excuse my ignorance in this subject...but is it Dutched or Dutch Cocoa? If Dutched, is that a process done to the Cocoa or what? I'd be interested to know. I too am extreemely disspointed in the cocoa I buy - both brands are pretty dull.( and remember this topic being discussed before.)
Cocoa these days is absolutely tasteless as a chocolate flavour - its it almost only a colour these days, and even that is pretty pale.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2009 06:40AM by Maryloo.

It is dutched and it is a process (rather than coming from Holland), although it is known as Dutch as well - but technically dutching is the process

Thanks for the lesson, I thought it was dutch cocoa because it came from Holland ... how ignorant can I be hahahahah

Try the Signature Range cocoa in the tall tin/container. It is actually surprisingly good, far far superior to Cadburys/Nestle/Pams and much cheaper too. Has a lovely rich colour...

With huge thanks to Peaches, I got myself some dutched cocoa.

I made a self saucing pudding out of it...

OMG what a difference. With normal cocoa it would have been more "floury" with no taste, yet with the dutched cocoa it had flavour and it was really tasty.

I will prefer to spend more and get quality...

Zee

I sent my Teddy out to buy some cocoa, I'm not that fussy, but I told him not to buy Cadbury's -- tasteless, buy any other brand but that. He came home with Home Brand. I sighed. It was a bit more than what I would expect to pay for cocoa, esp that brand and it was bigger, I was very unhappy, that is until I used it. OMG, it's wonderful, cocoa the way it used to be. I have never tried dutch cocoa and I was considering it, but this will hold me until another day.

Hoana

Hi Zeetra

So glad that the cocoa has not disappointed you. It sure makes a difference to have quality ingredients - or quality anythings for that matter.

Now......lets have a little talk about Vanilla......what sort do you use???

Peaches

Totally agree it must be cost induced because cadbury is made in england and is the number one seller but thier cocoa has altered dramatically and Ihave now switched to green and black organic, and much more expensive range to get the taste Im used to. Shame on you Cadburys.

Got to add Madagascan or pure Mexican vanilla is the best but a good old vanilla pod does the trick if the other two are in short supply