Page 48 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

30 C H O C O L A T E C A K E M I X 1 0 1

How Chocolate Is Made

hocolate comes from the fruit of the and the recipe of the manufacturer.
C cacao tree, which grows in rain
5. Cooling. The beans are cooled down
forests primarily in West Africa—in Ghana,
and the thin shells removed.
the Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. Since the tree
will thrive only in hot and rainy climates, it 6. Nibs crushed into chocolate liquor. The
is cultivated within 20 degrees north or very essence of the bean is crushed to
south of the Equator. Here is the journey form a chocolate liquid, which can then
the cream-colored cocoa beans take after be poured into molds and solidified to
they are removed from the large pods of make unsweetened or bitter chocolate.
the cacao tree and before they wind up in 7. Separating cocoa particles and cocoa
your chocolate layer cake: butter. If the chocolate liquor is placed

1. Fermentation. The creamy beans are in a giant press, the cocoa butter
put into boxes or thrown on heaps drains away, leaving a pressed cake
and covered. They ferment for up to that is cooled, pulverized, and sifted
a week. The raw, bitter flavor dis - to form cocoa powder.
appears and the new flavor develops
8. Making semisweet, milk, and other
as the beans turn a rich brown color.
eating chocolate. Sugar, cream or
2. Drying. So they won’t spoil during milk, spices or other flavorings, an
shipping, the beans are dried in the emulsifier, and more cocoa butter are
sun or in a heated indoor area. Then combined with the chocolate liquor
they are bagged for shipping. and kneaded (called conching) to
make sweet and creamy chocolate.
3. Cleaning. A machine removes dried
pulp and other materials before the 9. Tempering and molding. The
beans are roasted. chocolate is heated, cooled, and
reheated—or tempered—and then
4. Roasting. This develops the beans’
poured into molds, from small candy
flavor, aroma, and color. The cocoa
bars to large 10-pound blocks.
beans are roasted in large rotary
cylinders, the amount of time 10. The chocolate is cooled, wrapped, and
depending on the variety of bean shipped.