Natural or Dutch-process cocoa: which one does the recipe need?
Check the cocoa label and the leavening system before swapping unsweetened powders.
Begin with the word unsweetened. A hot chocolate drink mix can include sugar and other ingredients and is not a straight replacement for baking cocoa. Then look for “natural” or “processed with alkali.” The latter describes Dutch-process cocoa. Alkalizing reduces the acidity of cocoa; the color can also change, but color alone is a poor way to identify a powder.
In a cake that specifies natural cocoa and relies on baking soda, the cocoa can supply some of the acid needed for the reaction. A Dutch-process powder may not behave the same way unless another acidic ingredient or the formula as a whole accounts for the switch. Follow an explicitly named type when the height and structure of a cake matter.
In a chocolate sauce with no leavener, you can choose an unsweetened powder more for its flavor and color. Stir a little sauce into the powder to smooth out lumps before finishing the mixture. A recipe that explicitly allows both types is already giving you room to choose. Take note of the brand and type when you like the result.
