Read the recipe's chocolate first
A recipe that says "4 ounces semisweet chocolate" was balanced with that much sugar and fat in the chocolate. Using a much darker bar, or cocoa powder, changes the balance. Before you start, check three things: what type the recipe names, whether it wants a bar, chips or cocoa, and whether it says natural or Dutch-process cocoa.
Natural or Dutch-process cocoa
Natural cocoa is acidic. When a recipe leans on baking soda for rise, the soda needs that acid. Dutch-process cocoa has been alkalized, so it does not react with baking soda in the same way, and recipes that use it usually rely on baking powder instead.
- If a recipe uses only baking soda, use the cocoa it names, usually natural.
- If it uses only baking powder, either type usually works. Dutch-process gives a darker color and milder flavor.
- If it uses both, you can often use either, though the color and taste will shift.
To bring out more cocoa flavor, many bakers "bloom" the cocoa by whisking it into a hot liquid from the recipe, such as hot water, coffee or melted butter, before adding it to the batter.
Swapping chocolates
Swaps work best between neighbors: semisweet for bittersweet, or one dark bar for another a few points away. Larger jumps need adjustments to sugar and fat, and the result will still change. These are rough, common guidelines:
| Recipe calls for | You have | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Semisweet | Bittersweet | Usually fine. Less sweet and a little stronger. |
| Bittersweet | Milk chocolate | Much sweeter and softer. Weak chocolate flavor in cakes. |
| Unsweetened | Semisweet | Too sweet unless you cut the recipe's sugar. Better to find the right chocolate. |
| Chopped bar | Chips | Fine for cookies. Thicker melt in ganache or glaze. |
| Any bar | Cocoa powder | Possible, but you must add fat and sugar. Use a recipe written for cocoa instead. |
Why chocolate bakes turn dry
- Overbaking. Chocolate cakes and brownies hide their browning, so they are easy to overbake. Start checking a few minutes early.
- Too much cocoa. Cocoa powder soaks up liquid like flour does. Measure it by weight, or spoon it into the cup and level it.
- A darker chocolate than written. Extra cocoa solids absorb more moisture.
Chocolate and peanut butter in baking
Peanut butter adds fat, protein and salt, and it browns quickly. When you add it to a chocolate recipe, it tends to make a denser, softer result and may need a slightly lower oven or a shorter bake. Natural peanut butter separates, so stir it thoroughly. Stabilized, no-stir peanut butter gives more predictable results in recipes written for it. Swirling a few spoons of peanut butter over a brownie batter before baking is an easy way to start.
Peanut butter is a major allergen. Tell guests when a baked good contains peanuts, and keep separate tools and surfaces if you also bake for someone with a peanut allergy.
Small habits that help
- Weigh chocolate and cocoa. Cup measures of chopped chocolate are unreliable.
- Let melted chocolate cool slightly before adding eggs, so they do not start to cook.
- Add a pinch of salt and a little vanilla. Both sharpen the chocolate flavor.
- Toss chips in a spoon of the recipe's flour only if the recipe suggests it. It does little in thick doughs.