Cacao Paste vs Cacao Powder

[Amateur1]

According to this site, cacao paste is used in combination with cacao butter. At the moment I use cacao powder with cacao butter.
Does anyone have experience of cacao paste and cacao powder with cacao butter.
How do they compare and contrast when making things?
Is cacao paste healthier as it's less processed?
What Is Cacao Paste?.

Here is the cacao paste I saw Just Natural Organic Raw Cacao Paste 200g - Just Natural
Here is the cacao powder I use. https://www.ocado.com/products/food...FHd37BuuwZBzwbrE_4hoCsiQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I've tried other brands of cacao powder, but prefer this. I reckon it's better for me as it has a higher fat content. I've never tried cacao paste.

 

[Timenspace]

I've never tried cacao paste

Hello. How wonderful of you to share those resources.
I've also never tried cacao paste in my own cooking. If I remember correctly we must have taste-tested it at a local chocolate museum.

What do you envision making with it? Would you consider making your own cocoa paste from scratch?

 

[Amateur1]

Thanks for getting back to me. I thought of these recipes.
Recipe - Chocolate cake was dry and flaky
Recipe - Quinoa Chocolate Porridge 2
I've amended the second one since posting eg using 30g cacao powder, 14g of cacao butter and 32g sugar instead of the truvia and dark chocolate. I've also removed the paprika and tahina to maximise the impact of the cacao. Since there is less powder I use a bit less water - about 290ml.

What would be the best way to make my own paste? I saw this, but it heats the beans well above 42c and I thought the whole point of cacao powder is to keep the temperature low.
Homemade Chocolate from Cacao Beans (Two Ingredient Recipe)

 

[Timenspace]

Lovely, your questions are very precise and in depth.
I am certain other members are way more experienced than me.

But as I experiment with gluten free and dairy free bakes, I just took out my recipes notebook and will simply splash ideas. So you may have a think and pick if anything makes sense to you. Listing out the moisture giving ingredients...

If you avoid eggs, egg substitute?

Regarding the moisture in cakes, last night I baked a chocolate cake for my daughter, albeit with standard ingredients, and it had 4 eggs and 200ml of oil.

For my Moist oat cake there is 1 plus 1/4 cup of water, half a cup fat and 2 eggs.

For my muffins (corn flour 150 g, whole wheat flour 100g, cocoa 60 g, I have 4 tbspoons of fat, 2 eggs, 1 cup yoghurt, 1/2 cup milk (dairy or plant based).

For the Banana bread 3 bananas and 5 eggs, or 4 eggs and 1 teaspoon of chia ( to 250 g of corn flour).

For a Corn flour cake, 1 cup of fat, 1 cup of yoghurt or cream, 3 eggs and several grated apples...(not stating how many exactly, my apologies)

For a fruit cake, I scribbled down 8 tablesp of melted fat or oil, 2 eggs and 1 cup of buttermilk ( which I subbed by oat milk, a squeeze of lemon and a tablesp of oil).

"Bday" muffins, 2 eggs, 1 cup of apple mousse and juice of half a lemon, jotted down on the side of the 1/3 of a cup oil that I poured more oil, 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey, but however those did not rise enough. So tasted good, edible, ok consistency, but rather flat.

For Caprese Torta 4 eggs, 5ml liquid stevia, 130 g butter (or sub).

Coconut muffins, although the recipe called for 12 eggs, I used 3 eggs and 70ml of plant milk and 2 teasp of chia), 1/2 cup fat, 1/2 cup milk.

For the cocoa paste, I don't honestly have a clue. But surely other members will have suggestions.

Hopefully something brings you onto the right path...and fails are ok too. I've skipped over the Fail and x marked pages...

 

[Amateur1]

thanks.