Summer is a birthday marathon around here, and I just finished making a bunch of delicious cakes! While I think all the recipes were delicious, the hands-down winner was a recipe I found on cakebycourtney.com- her Disney’s Grey Stuff Cake (or Oreo Chocolate Mousse Cake). My dad had two helpings, and my father-in-law, who is not usually a cake person, really loved it! I HIGHLY recommended this recipe. You could easily adapt it to a 9x13 or cupcakes if you don’t want to do a layer cake.

One of the more unique ingredients you’ll use in this recipe is black cocoa powder. At first glance, I figured this is something I would find next to the cocoa powder at Walmart, like special dark cocoa powder. However, I had to order it online- and it’s actually very different from your typical cocoa powder. The two things that make it more unique are the color, and the taste. It has a richer, chocolate flavor, without being overly sweet. I would compare it to that delicious Oreo flavor- a richer, deep chocolate taste. And it has a beautiful, uniquely black color!

How did we get black cocoa powder? Well, let’s understand the difference between cacao, and cocoa powder first. Cacao powder is much more nutritional, as it is made from ground, cold pressed cacao nibs. No processing at higher temperatures. Whereas cocoa powder is made from ground cocoa beans that have been roasted first. It tastes more acidic, is lighter in color, and has a more concentrated chocolate flavor.

Now the difference between natural and dutch-processed cocoa: natural cocoa powder is used in recipes that use baking soda, because the two ingredients cause a reaction- thus allowing your baking goodies to rise. Dutch-processed cocoa is treated with an alkaline solution that makes it more neutral, and less acidic. This results in a darker color, a less acidic, milder taste, and the ability to more easily dissolve in liquids. You’ll see dutch-processed cocoa powder in recipes with baking powder, because it’s lower acidity doesn’t allow it to react with baking soda.

If you haven’t already guessed, black cocoa powder is dutch-processed, so it has that milder flavor with a darker color. It’s been heavily alkalized, which is how they are able to achieve the super dark color. It’s naturally done, and so this makes it a great way to color foods naturally!

With fall and Halloween on the horizon, you’ll definitely want to get some black cocoa powder in your pantry. Black buttercream is usually really hard to achieve using solely black food gel, but black cocoa powder is a great way to help you get that beautiful black color, without staining your tongue and teeth as well! It’s also great in cookies, cakes, or in any of your baked goods in which you want a blacker color, without using all the added food coloring.

Here is a picture I took of the bowl of cake batter after I poured it out. Look at that black color!

And that’s with absolutely no additional food coloring! Here is a picture of what the cake layers look like compared to a milk chocolate ganache.

Dark dark dark! The perfect way to achieve that beautiful black color. Plus- it’s REALLY good. I’m definitely making this cake again.

Here is the recipe for the Grey Stuff Cake if you want to try it for yourself!



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I can’t believe I’ve only now come across black cocoa powder. But now that I have, I’m sure it’s going to be a pantry staple at my house, especially in the fall and Halloween season!