I would like to try out a cake recipe that I really like, but without the cocoa. I assume that I need to make up for the loss of dry ingredients as the recipe contains 1 1/3 cups of cocoa. Should I add more flour? If so, the whole amount?

Substitute corn starch NOT flour.

The cocoa acts like starch in the recipe, and has no gluten. Using flour in place of the cocoa would add gluten and make your cake tough.

For 1-1/3 cups cocoa, I would use 1 cup sifted cornstarch because cocoa is 20% or so fat.

Thanks Baking Irene!

All recipes are chemical equations ..

1. that much cocoa is supplying structure as well as taste to the completed product. Cornstarch will only provide the non-gluten bulk ..

2. natural cocoa is acidic in nature: to balance this, there is usually an alkaline item in the recipe: bicarb soda, buttermilk, sour cream, yoghurt etc. The chemical reaction neutralizes but it also acts as a secondary leavener. Removing the cocoa, means that another item will have to be introduced to counter the alkaline ingredient

3. when you remove one of the catalsyts of the acid/alkali reaction, you will have to add some type of leavener or the item may not rise as it is supoosed to ..

4. cocoa in a baked product is very drying, especially that amount. More liquid is added to balance this tendency. Removing the cocoa will unbalance the moisture content

Suggestion: look for another recipe ..