urgent help-coloured buttercream icing...!!!

[dipsymummy]

we need to make dark green buttercream icing for my son's birthday cake-tomorrow!!!

however, no matter how much colouring we put in, we cannot get it to be the dark green we want. we have tried adding cocoa and black colouring -nothing so far is helping.

Can anyone suggest any other concoctions.

WE ARE DESPERATE!!!!!!!!!

[dipsymummy]

in case someone needs an idea of shades, it is for a ben 10 omnitrix watch.

[becklespeckle]

What time do you need the icing for? have you time to pop to town? Paste colours are the best for colouring buttercream/icing - no suggestions other than that though, sorry.

[PrettyCandles]

Presumably you're using liquid icing? In which case, sorry, it's not going to get dark enough. You might fnd that adding blue helps get the right shade, but it won't be dark. You need paste colours for that.

Have you an alternative? What are you trying to do?

[DarrellRivers]

Can you get to the shops tomorrow am?
Then get to a cook shop and get colouring paste
Much more concentrated than the colouring liquid

[DarrellRivers]

I knew it would be for a ben10 cake
Did this at the weekend
I've got some paste, you can come and get it if you like

[dipsymummy]

thanks girls! I'm so annoyed-we were at the cake shop and went for liquid instead of paste!
I'll go to the shops now.
Darrel Rivers-Thankyou for your kind offer. where do you live? Nowhere near Twickenham I guess ?

[Jumpty]

If you're desparate, you could buy some of those icing writing kits. The green in that is a bit too bright for Ben 10 but it's deeper than you'll get with liquid. Good luck! If it's any consolation, I just had a very similar experience trying to get blue for a Superman cake. I couldn't get it deep enough (by a long shot) but none of the boys seemed to notice (8 y.o.), they still loved it.

[dipsymummy]

I guess my desperacy is to get the cake ready and the icing set by 4 pm today!
we had the same thing with our dinosaur cake last year-ended up with a mint green dinosaur-but you're right-the kids loved it!

[GentleOtter]

Asda have quite a good green and a blue which is made from seaweed so not too obnoxious.

[DarrellRivers]

Sorry, not near Twickenham
Good luck

[dipsymummy]

The day has been saved!
A lady that runs her own professional cake company locally kindly gave me some green paste to save me trekking all the way to the shops.
Thankyou for all your help ! Have so many tips now for next time!