""Cocoa powder is considered one of the dry agents in baking," she says. "The starches in cocoa powder make it very drying, so it will draw moisture from your bake. Think of it like the cocoa's starch is competing with the other dry ingredients for available water in the recipe, effectively reducing moisture and potentially leading to dry baked goods if too much is added.""
"Chocolate is clearly one of the greatest discoveries in human history. And while we adore chocolate in all of its forms, not all forms of chocolate will work in every recipe. Cocoa powder can be a great help to the home baker, but if you use it incorrectly, your whole recipe will be ruined. The thing about cocoa powder is that it affects the moisture of your cake, not just the flavor."
Cocoa powder functions as a dry agent in baking because its starches draw moisture from mixtures, competing with other dry ingredients for available water. Excess cocoa powder can reduce overall moisture and cause dry cakes, breads, or cookies unless the recipe is reformulated. Cocoa powder works well in no-bake or forgiving recipes where moisture balance is less critical, and small amounts can be added to treats like peanut butter Rice Krispies. When substituting cocoa powder for baker's chocolate, increase fat: one ounce of baker's chocolate equals three tablespoons of cocoa plus one tablespoon of fat.
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