Black Cocoa Powder 500g Iconic

Achieve a deep, dramatic black in your bakes without a drop of food colouring. This 500g Black Cocoa Powder is a heavily dutched and alkalised cocoa that delivers an intensely dark colour and a smooth, mellow chocolate flavour — perfect for bold cakes, striking buttercream, and dramatic drip creations.

Key Details

• Size: 500g
• Type: Black cocoa powder (heavily dutched / alkalised)
• Cocoa butter: 10–12%
• Colour: Intensely black — no added food dye
• Flavour: Smooth, non-bitter; milder than natural cocoa
• Suitable for: Buttercream, cake batter, cookies, no-bake slices

Best For

• Achieving a true, deep black buttercream without gel colouring (will not stain teeth)
• Black velvet cakes and dark chocolate layer cakes with dramatic visual impact
• Halloween and gothic-themed bakes where a stark black sponge is the centrepiece
• Dark Oreo-style cookies and sandwich biscuits where natural black colour is key

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I swap black cocoa powder for regular cocoa powder in any recipe?

Not always. Black cocoa powder is heavily alkalised (Dutch process), which means it will not react with baking soda the way natural (acidic) cocoa does. You can swap natural cocoa for black cocoa without issue, but avoid substituting black cocoa into recipes that rely on baking soda for rise — a flat cake or sunken cupcakes can result.

Does black cocoa powder taste like chocolate?

Not quite. Because it is so heavily processed, black cocoa has a smoother, less bitter taste than regular Dutch cocoa — but it lacks the pronounced chocolate flavour you would expect. For the best of both worlds, many bakers combine it with regular Dutch cocoa to maintain colour intensity while keeping a richer chocolate taste.

Explore our full range of food colouring and natural colouring options, or shop all baking ingredients at Baking Pleasures.