Cocoa Cake

Crushed into a fine power: Then alkalised - also known as ‘Dutching’ after Van Houten who invented it at the beginning of the 19th century. Alkalisation changes the pH of the cocoa, mellows the flavour, and, most importantly, darkens the colour: (Discovered by the Aztec ‘medicine men’ who used to use it as a stomach remedy by adding wood ashes from the fire to chocolate to make it more digestible).