Does The Quality Of The Chocolate Really Make A Difference..

Business By Bel_Anne Updated 1 Aug 2009 , 9:35pm by kelleym

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Bel_Anne Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 6:43am
post #1 of 8

.....In a mud cake if I team the recipe with a good quality cocoa? Is it possible to use cheap chocolate and perhaps a dutch cocoa and still achieve the same sort of result? Isn't better quality chocolate just made with a better quality cocoa anyway?

7 replies
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Deb_ Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 11:58am
post #2 of 8

Yes the quality of the chocolate makes a difference. You should check out the "chocolate cake scratch off" in the general forums......some have baked the same recipes with different quality chocolate and the reviews definitely reflect a difference in overall taste/flavor.

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Doug Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 12:15pm
post #3 of 8

YES!

example -- consider the taste difference between those super cheap chocolate holiday candies and a Lindt truffle.

buy the absolute best you can afford.

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Rylan Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 12:21pm
post #4 of 8

Lindt truffles are my favorite.

Yes, quality cocoa does make a difference. Buy what you can afform.

When I make ganache, I use really cheap chocolate and it still performs great but not as good as quality chocolate.

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Bel_Anne Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 12:47pm
post #5 of 8

I most certainly understand when eating chocolate alone, that the more expensive one is more pleasing to the palette. But in that case, the chocolate is the only thing in your mouth. With cake there are so many other elements. I make loads of mud cakes - My only option recently was to use a cheaper chocolate, so I added a touch more oil and nearly doubled the quantities of cocoa in the recipe. The outcome was barely even noticable. If not a better taste, because of the very distinct flavour of the dutch cocoa I used. I just don't understand the importance of the cocoa butter (which is what most cheap chocolates are missing) in a cake... Obviously when eating JUST chocolate - that would make a difference..

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Deb_ Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 2:24pm
post #6 of 8

Looks like you answered your own question then...........you tried it, you substituted other things for it and you couldn't tell the difference.

I personally can definitely tell the difference when I've tried to use a less expensive chocolate or cocoa in my recipes. Taste is subjective though, so if it worked for you then go for it.

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Bel_Anne Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 9:15pm
post #7 of 8

I guess because taste is subjective I was wondering whether I just have a poor palette... haha. I was hoping somebody else had tried something similar and had the same success. Most people are adamant about the couverture chocolate thing. Maybe it's placebo because of all the beat up? Just a theory! icon_biggrin.gif

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kelleym Posted 1 Aug 2009 , 9:35pm
post #8 of 8

I always use high quality chocolate, but it's entirely possible that it doesn't make a difference. The taste testers at America's Test Kitchen couldn't tell the difference between cookies made with artificial vanilla and those made with real vanilla, so anything's possible.

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