Chocolate powder is something that, in times gone by, wouldn’t have been seen on the barista counter of any coffee shop in the world. However, in these modern days, it’s a common fixture!
The addition of gentle chocolate flavor to a cup of coffee can be a tremendous thing. Not only can it complement the bitterness of coffee with some unique bitterness of its own, but also it can bring a warm, herbal brightness to a milky drink that’s quite hard to define.
In this article, we’re going to talk about topping drinks with chocolate powder, whether in your home or at a cafe, and we’re going to talk about precisely why people do it.
What should you look for in a chocolate powder?
There is a great range of things that will make the chocolate powder you prefer the ideal one for you. With that said, though, there are a couple of things we would recommend looking out for fine size, flavor dominance, and dissolvability.
The fine-grind size of coffee is something that we speak about fairly regularly, from making espresso to making any other element of different drinks. However, it’s strange to consider it in the context of chocolate powder.
Cocoa powder is typically very fine, similar to confectioners’ sugar. Processed and supplemented cocoa powder, however, typically has some larger particles, which may be spices, salt, or sugar. We would recommend seeking out an exceptionally fine powder that is consistent throughout – the kind of thing that won’t leave you with a large clump of powder right in the center of a cappuccino.
Flavor dominance is also a concern. Going for a name-brand option can be a bad choice, as they typically have a brand flavor to maintain and replicate. For example, Cadbury’s cocoa powder and hot chocolate mix typically tastes exactly like their chocolate, specifically.
Instead of going for such a specific flavor, it might be a wiser choice to opt for a cocoa powder that has a more generic, simplistic flavor. That way, you can add the cocoa flavor to your drinks without inadvertently adding additional flavors on top of that.
Finally, we come to dissolvability. The thing that we always consider is this: the cocoa powder must stay visible on top of the drink for a little while, before then dissolving as you stir your coffee before drinking.
This is a hard feature to define, and an even harder one to buy for. Typically, plain cocoa powder doesn’t dissolve well in a drink, while processed hot cocoa mix dissolves too readily. In reality, it’s a good idea to shop around a little. Try a few options, and use the one that works the best in your home.
Some brand recommendations
Ghirardelli
Ghirardelli has a long-standing reputation in the chocolate industry for being exceptionally high quality. This is totally reflected in the cocoa powder that they sell, and every ounce of flavor that it has.
Typically, darker cocoa powders such as the one we’ve linked to here are used for baking, but the slightly increased bitterness can pair well with coffee. Even if you’re a little skeptical, it’s worth trying to see what you think of a darker flavor on your cappuccino.
Upouria
Aside from Ghirardelli, you can also select products deliberately designed and selected to work as toppings for food and drink. Typically, these products have been formulated to be a little more visually appealing, and a little more resistant to humidity in the air. While this won’t lead them to last for a long time on a wet drink, it will allow them to spread and settle a little more evenly.
Stencils that might work well
We’ve spoken about latte art stencils before on this site, but the truth is that they’re a really nifty, convenient piece of kit! There can be something of a learning curve when you first use them, but they can be truly great.
The one thing that we would suggest is this – stay away from stencils with a large hole in the center, such as a star or a heart. These options can lead to you creating a small mountain of topping in the center of a drink, and a lesser proportion further out from the center. While you’re still getting the hang of it, stick with options a little closer to line drawings.
Ideal tools for dusting
Shaker
A simple shaker can be the ideal thing for creating a wonderful cocoa topping on a coffee drink. We really like this one that we’ve linked to on Amazon, since it has a really fine metal mesh filter, and can be used liberally to ensure that the cocoa powder is evenly dispersed and that the size is kept consistent.
Using a metal shaker such as this one can eliminate any element of clumping in the cocoa powder as you use it. After all, the only cocoa powder that can fit through the mesh is made up of particles smaller than the holes. To that end, the powder can remain in great consistency throughout each shake.
Coffee Art Pen
These coffee art pens can be a little unpredictable, but reviews of them across the internet all tend to agree on a core thing – once you get the hang of it, they’re a fun way to personalize a cup of coffee!
Essentially, the idea is simple. Within the pen is a motor that vibrates. This agitates the cocoa powder you’ve added to the pen, shaking it through a fine mesh at the ‘nib’, and allowing it to dust the surface of the coffee.
One issue that people report is consistency, with the motor tending to agitate a little more at the start of the process than at the end. However, once you get the pacing of usage right, you’re sure to be able to dispense an even amount of cocoa powder with ease.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has painted a small picture for you about the best ways to ensure that your drinks are well-dusted with cocoa powder. It’s an attainable goal, and a fun one, too!