How to Make Black Food Coloring
Buy red, blue, and green food coloring., Mix in cocoa powder (for white frosting only)., Add equal amounts of red, blue and green to your recipe., Adjust the color., Wait for the final color.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Buy red
You can mix these colors to make a dark grey, which is about as close as you can get without buying black food coloring.
If you're making icing or frosting, use gel or paste food coloring.
Liquid food coloring is less intense and can make the icing runny. -
Step 2: and green food coloring.
The end result is always better when you start with a dark recipe.
If you're using white frosting, you can fix this by mixing in cocoa powder, one spoonful at a time.Black cocoa powder gives the best result, but ordinary cocoa powder should work fine for this method.
If you skip this step, you'll need to use much more food coloring, which can affect the taste and texture. , Start with just a couple drops of each color, stirring them in well.
Repeat until the mixture darkens to a deep grey, always adding equal amounts of the color.
You can use yellow instead of green, but the lighter color makes it more difficult to achieve black. , If you see hints of other colors in the grey, make these adjustments:
If it looks green, add more red.
If it looks purple, add more green.
Make all adjustments one drop at a time, stirring thoroughly between each drop. , Most food coloring will deepen in buttercream and fade slightly in royal and boiled icing.If you are making the latter type of icing, consider adding the color a half hour before serving to minimize the fading.
In some regions, chemicals in the water can change the color.
Buttercream usually has a more reliable color when made with milk instead.Keep the recipe away from direct light and heat, which can cause fading. -
Step 3: Mix in cocoa powder (for white frosting only).
-
Step 4: Add equal amounts of red
-
Step 5: blue and green to your recipe.
-
Step 6: Adjust the color.
-
Step 7: Wait for the final color.
Detailed Guide
You can mix these colors to make a dark grey, which is about as close as you can get without buying black food coloring.
If you're making icing or frosting, use gel or paste food coloring.
Liquid food coloring is less intense and can make the icing runny.
The end result is always better when you start with a dark recipe.
If you're using white frosting, you can fix this by mixing in cocoa powder, one spoonful at a time.Black cocoa powder gives the best result, but ordinary cocoa powder should work fine for this method.
If you skip this step, you'll need to use much more food coloring, which can affect the taste and texture. , Start with just a couple drops of each color, stirring them in well.
Repeat until the mixture darkens to a deep grey, always adding equal amounts of the color.
You can use yellow instead of green, but the lighter color makes it more difficult to achieve black. , If you see hints of other colors in the grey, make these adjustments:
If it looks green, add more red.
If it looks purple, add more green.
Make all adjustments one drop at a time, stirring thoroughly between each drop. , Most food coloring will deepen in buttercream and fade slightly in royal and boiled icing.If you are making the latter type of icing, consider adding the color a half hour before serving to minimize the fading.
In some regions, chemicals in the water can change the color.
Buttercream usually has a more reliable color when made with milk instead.Keep the recipe away from direct light and heat, which can cause fading.
About the Author
Douglas Hart
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: