Coffee & walnut cake frosting - do you use food colouring ?

[bacon]

The covering on my cake tastes fantastic but looks far too light and spoils the effect. Without adding more coffee does anyone use a light food colouring to boost the effect? Or should I be adding more coffee? What is an acceptable coffee taste I wonder - perhaps mine isnt enough.

ANy ideas?

Normally I would add more coffee! Mind you everyone I know quite likes it strong!

Yes, you are probably right, be concerned that it could be over powering????

My mother always used to use "Camp Coffee"; can you still get it? You could also use gravy browning.

gravy browning? really?

My understanding is that it is only caramelised sugar. Might be worth tasting to check before you make your cake taste of Oxtail Soup!

you could be right 4...SHD. Just checked my bottle and it said for cakes and icing also. Well, i never...............

Never assume that things only have one use. We make a Jam Funnel that is great for using to top up the oil in your car engine!

...............and brake cleaner will get rid of masonry wasps............

Add more coffee - I love a good strong coffee cake!

gravy browning - never thought of that - yes its only sugar & colour. I think there is a difference between a pleasant coffee flavour and a bitter overload.

I've seen camp coffee in the supermarket.

Great! I will bear that in mind for my next bake.

Did you use unrefined icing sugar? Thats a brown colour to start with and looks ( and tastes ) much nicer than the refined white stuff.

No - recipe uses light muscovado sugar which did whisk really well but very incipid in colour and as it was a gift I was careful not to spoil it however I would add more next time. Will add gravey browning too.