During processing, even though almost all of the cocoa butter is hydraulically pressed from the cocoa mass, the remaining dry cocoa powder will still contain small amounts of cocoa butter, ranging from about 8 to 26%. The percentage of cocoa butter is sometimes indicated on the package.

Casparus van Houten (1770-1858), a chocolatier in Amsterdam, created and patented the method for using a hydraulic press to press the fat from roasted cacao beans. The dry cocoa cake is pulverized and sold as cocoa powder.