A Question For Australian Bakers About Black Cocoa Powder

Baking By mayatlan Updated 8 Jun 2016 , 10:06am by WLYB

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mayatlan Posted 25 Apr 2016 , 12:07pm
post #1 of 16

Hi

I am hobby baker, I just make cakes for my family, and I would lilke to make a "Midnight chocolate cake" but I don't know where to buy black cocoa powder. .  The recipe I found ask for 1/3 cup of shortening , can I use the shortening we buy in cake decorating shops that is called "bauttercream base" ?

If someone can help me with this it will be great. I live in Melbourne

thank you so much in advance.

15 replies
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cakingandbaking Posted 25 Apr 2016 , 4:37pm
post #2 of 16

I'm not from Australia but no one around where I live sells black cocoa either so I found mine on Amazon. Try finding some on there or do a Google search and find an online baking supply that sells it. 

Also, a caution - it sounds like you've never used black cocoa before, so here's some advice: make sure you buy a high-quality brand or you may end up with bitter, burnt-tasting black cocoa. That's been my experience and I was not happy, especially considering how expensive black cocoa is!

Best of luck!

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cakingandbaking Posted 25 Apr 2016 , 4:45pm
post #3 of 16

I just posted a reply to this but it's not showing up? Ugh.

So here's what I said...

Look on Amazon and you should be able to find some. Otherwise try Google searching for an online bakery supply store that sells it. No matter where you buy it, try to purchase the highest quality you can afford. In my experience, the cheaper black cocoas have a bitter, almost burnt flavor. Not good.

I'm not from Australia but no one in my area sells black cocoa either and this is what worked for me!

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-K8memphis Posted 25 Apr 2016 , 5:25pm
post #4 of 16

i'm not from australia but i thought i would just chime in that i buy my black cocoa off amazon -- don't know if that works for you -- just thought i'd toss that out -- it makes a wonderful chocolate brownie/cake -- and if you ever need black icing -- you're almost there with this stuff -- hope someone from your area posts soon -- 

best to you

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810whitechoc Posted 25 Apr 2016 , 9:53pm
post #5 of 16

I'm in Australia, I am not aware of anywhere you can just go buy it off the shelf, Amazon is the place to go.  I use a company in Melbourne to buy speciality food ingredients The Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot.  They don't have black but do have Callebaut Dutch, they carry all sorts of niche and specialised ingredients and lucky you they are in Melbourne, I have to ship.

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mayatlan Posted 26 Apr 2016 , 8:16am
post #6 of 16

Hi

Thank you so much to all of you for you help

I will try Amazon and see how I go.

Cakingandbaking yes you are right I have never used black cocoa, I didnt eve heard about it before until I read the recipe. thank you so much

k8memphis I didnt know I can use it to colour fondant, thanks for the advice

810whitechoc thank you I will have a look at their website tonite

Thanks  again to all of you  two_hearts.png


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-K8memphis Posted 26 Apr 2016 , 8:37am
post #7 of 16

well let me clarify

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-K8memphis Posted 26 Apr 2016 , 8:51am
post #8 of 16

oh my post got away from me -- let me clarify what i meant -- you can make great black buttercream with it -- and i've never done it but you could potentially make black fondant if you were making the fondant by substituting some powdered sugar for cocoa powder --

i didn't mean that you could straight up color fondant with it although of course in Australia when i said 'icing' you would think fondant  -- so sorry about the mispeak -- maybe you could color already made fondant but it would be a balancing act of adding enough liquid/fat/glucose to offset the amount of dry powder being added  -- idk -- but I meant buttercream 

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mayatlan Posted 26 Apr 2016 , 9:04am
post #9 of 16

Sorry!  yes I thought " fondant"

It was my foult!  I have a very small "cake world" 

thank you so much for the clarification, I would never be able to make that balancing act with all the ingredients

Thanks !

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-K8memphis Posted 26 Apr 2016 , 11:06am
post #10 of 16

no no no no no  -- you clearly said "Australia" and i should have thought of that -- 

best baking to you!

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Ozabby Posted 30 Apr 2016 , 12:04am
post #11 of 16

Ok, so I am in Australia. I have found Amazon shipping can be super expensive out here. I have bought many products from IHerb. They have organic black cocoa http://au.m.iherb.com/Frontier-Natural-Products-Certified-Organic-Black-Cocoa-Powder-Processed-with-Alkali-16-oz-453-g/46895

Hope this helps

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bubs1stbirthday Posted 1 May 2016 , 12:39pm
post #12 of 16

The shortening that you want is called Solite in Australia, most cake shops sell it.

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mayatlan Posted 2 May 2016 , 4:02pm
post #13 of 16

Thank you so much bubs1stbirthday,  I was still not sure about that.

Thanks

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WLYB Posted 8 Jun 2016 , 7:02am
post #14 of 16

Did you eventually find some mayatlan?

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mayatlan Posted 8 Jun 2016 , 9:38am
post #15 of 16

Hi WLYB 

No I haven't, I got a lot of beautiful suggestions, but I haven't try any, because unfortunately I wanted to make that cake for my birthday on may , but as I was organizing everything, we got an illness on my husband's family and we had to put it on hold. 

But for sure I will let you. I still want to make that " Midnight cake" but definitely I will and I will post how it comes out.

regards 



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WLYB Posted 8 Jun 2016 , 10:06am
post #16 of 16

Thank you for the reply - so sorry there was illness in the family. I thought I had discovered a supplier in New Zealand however they don't post to Australia either.

I look forward to the day we find some!

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