This torte is wonderfully dark and very moist and the prunes soaked in Armagnac or rum make it a very grown up dessert. Use strong black tea in place of Armagnac if you prefer a non-alcoholic version.Among baked goods, snacks, and confections, chocolate is an expected flavor. It’s rare to find a pastry chef who leaves chocolate desserts off the menu or a baker who opts out of selling chocolate cookies and other treats. From trending flavors such as Dubai-style chocolate to consumers’ lasting loyalty to favorite treats, it’s no wonder that the number of chocolate products on the market continues to grow.

Yet while chocolate continues to be popular, the past few years have been challenging ones for cacao-growing areas around the world. Plant diseases, political unrest, social concerns, and climate-related disasters have curbed supply of cacao, the raw material that is transformed into chocolate. While prices have stabilized since spiking in 2024, they’re still much higher than historic averages.

For formulators looking for ways to buffer chocolate offerings against price and supply fluctuation, Sunsweet offers solutions. Using prune-based ingredients with cocoa powder and other chocolate ingredients can amplify chocolate flavor, even if the total amount of chocolate is lower than usual. For guidance, we created a white paper to explain our experience working with chocolate and prune ingredients. Use the contact form and add the request “Cocoa White Paper” and we’ll email you a copy.