# "Deep Red" Color for Buttercream??



## tomculb (Jun 25, 2003)

So, I have a client who wants buttercream for a wedding cake with a "deep red" burgundy color. Any advice on food color versus beet juice? Sources for organic food colors?


----------



## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

You can achieve a deep color by adding color toabout 1/3 of the buttercream that you intend to use, microwaving it until the color intensifies, then adding more buttercream, to thicken it up again. Sometimes a tiny shot of black color makes the color less shocking. Depends what you're looking for.

I've seen the natural (but I don't think organic) colors at Trader Joe's and Zabar's, but I don't see a location under your name. I haven't used them, but I believe that LotusCakeStudio has.


----------



## lotuscakestudio (Jun 28, 2001)

I had to make blood red gumpaste roses for a cake and I bought the stuff Earlene Moore sells. Her directions are to replace the water in your gumpaste with this color paste. It did give a very deep red without that horrid pink. I used it as is for the first petals, then lightened it a bit with white gumpaste for the next set of petals, then lightened some more, etc. for color gradation. I don't know how this paste would work in buttercream, but it worked great for gumpaste.

You can't get dark colors with the natural food coloring. Beet juice gives a nice natural looking pink in buttercream and if you try to add more, it'll just break down the buttercream and/or it will taste like beets by the time you add enough.


----------

