It’s world chocolate day, the best day of the year for all chocolate lovers out there! Of course, if you’re a true chocolate lover, every day is chocolate day! As you probably know, this sweet treat comes from pure cocoa beans after they’ve been plucked, fermented, dried, roasted, and ground all to make cocoa liquor, also known as cocoa mass or unsweetened chocolate. This cocoa liquor brings us another tasty treat, which is cocoa powder. It’s mostly used to make that heavenly cup of hot chocolate in the cold. However, it can also be used in baking. Here’s how you can bake your own chocolatey goods right in your student room using cocoa powder.

1. Use It for Fudgy Brownies

Who doesn’t love warm, moist brownies topped with ice cream as a dessert? It’s the perfect treat if you have chocolate cravings and believe us, it is not that difficult to bake it from scratch.. Using cocoa powder in the recipe instead of melting chocolate is how you can whip it up quickly and make it taste delicious. All you need is oil or melted butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and cocoa powder. Mix the dry ingredients before adding the eggs with the oil or melted butter. Whisk it all together until the batter becomes thick, then pour it into a greased square baking dish to spread evenly using a rubber spatula. Bake the brownies for 30-45 minutes until the toothpick comes out with a moist crumb. Wait for them to cool, then cut yourself a piece and top it with your favourite ice cream.

2. Make Cocoa Cake

Your roommate’s birthday is coming up? No worries, just get cocoa powder and bake them the best birthday cake they’ll ever have. Cocoa powder in cakes gives it an unparalleled taste with a moist, fudgy texture that will satisfy your sweet tooth. All you need to do is mix butter, water and cocoa in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat while constantly stirring until it boils. Then, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl before adding in the hot cocoa mixture. Put eggs and sour cream next, then whisk on medium speed of the mixer until it’s well blended. That’s it; you have your batter! Pour it into a pan and bake it for 30 to 35 minutes. Don’t forget to add delicious cocoa fudge frosting while it’s fresh out of the oven!

3. Make Your Own Oreos!

Are you ruining your student budget on treats like Oreo cookies? Then why not make your own batch at home that will last longer than a 12-piece pack! Yes, it’s possible, it’s just as tasty, and it’s easier if you’re using cocoa powder. We recommend using dark unsweetened cocoa powder to give it that unique oreo taste. 

To prepare the cookies, start by lining cookie sheets with parchment paper. Next, get a bowl, mix cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour, and set it aside. The next step is to mix in a separate bowl cream butter, granulated and brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until it’s smooth, then add the dry ingredients. Next, take tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place them on the cookie sheets and bake for around 8-9 minutes so that they stay slightly underdone.

As for the filling, mix butter and marshmallow fluff then add salt followed by slowly beating in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cream to the mixture and take two of the cooled cookies to crumble then in the filling. Proceed to frost the cookies and making them into a sandwich, and you’ll have your very own delicious oreo cookies!

4. Turn Oreos Into A Cake!

Another way you can bake using cocoa powder is by making a delicious oreo cake for you and your flatmates to enjoy. This is another recipe that uses dark unsweetened cocoa powder to make it oreo-like. The best thing about this recipe is that it doesn’t need the addition of eggs and milk; you just need baking soda and vinegar to see your baked goods rise!. A great hack is also to use coffee in the cake to enhance the chocolate flavour. For this recipe, you can use two 8″ round cake pans, a 9×13″ rectangular pan, or make it as cupcakes instead, which are the perfect snack between classes!

To make this delicious cake, start by preheating the oven to 350°, then add butter and flour to your pan. You can also add parchment paper to remove the cake once done easily. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In another bowl or measuring cup, mix hot water, coffee, oil, and vinegar. Start stirring the wet ingredients into the dry ones until it’s smooth. Pour the batter into the pans evenly and bake for around 34-38 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean from the sides. 

The frosting is the best part of this recipe and what makes it look and taste like Oreos. It’s made from a mixture of butter, shortening, and marshmallow fluff to make it taste just the centre of an oreo cookie. To make it, mix half a cup of unsalted butter and half of the vegetable shortening until smooth, then add in the marshmallow fluff. 

Next, slowly stir in 3 cups of powdered sugar and half a spoon of salt with one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream. Keep mixing at medium speed while adding the cream to reach the right consistency.

That’s it, now all that’s left to do is to assemble your oreo cake by putting one of the cake layers on a serving plate, top it with half of the frosting, add some crushed Oreos, then put the second layer on top of it and put the rest of the frosting on top. After that, you can decorate using whole Oreo cookies or crushed ones and Bon appetit!

5. Bake Some Cocoa Sugar Cookies

We can talk about Oreos all day, but there’s nothing like a batch of warm homemade cookies to bring back the smell of your childhood home. Cookies are another great, quick snack that goes well with your morning cup of coffee before class for an extra energy boost. It’s also super easy to bake; start by mixing 1 cup of softened butter and one and a half cups of brown sugar for 5 minutes until it’s fluffy. Then add two eggs, one at a time, mixing them before adding vanilla and setting them aside. The next step is to whisk together in another bowl the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly combine the two mixtures, stirring them well. Put the dough in the fridge for an hour, then scoop it into granulated sugar, rolling around as coating. Place your sugar cookie pieces on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake them in a preheated oven for about 9-10 minutes. 

These recipes are definitely not all there is when it comes to baking with cocoa powder. You can make many desserts with this tasty powder like chocolate pudding, swiss chocolate cake roll, muffins, cheesecake, and more! Just be careful; it can be addicting, so make sure you ration your intake to stay healthy. Eat just enough to get you the energy boost you need to focus in your classes or go on a long, extensive study session.