Buttercream icing help

[celeryisnotasuperfood]

I want to make a cake with some simple white icing flowers. For them to stand out i want a really strong deep colour on the main icing - something like a navy or dark purple.
Personally hate fondant so would like to use a buttercream icing. I've only ever done pale colours before. Any tips from experienced cakemakers on what colouring to buy and how to use it so I get a nice deep colour that still tastes good?

sugarflair colourings are the best for a deep colour, don't bother with the ones from the shop by dr oetker, they are rubbish and you have to add half the bottle! you can get the sugarflair ones from eBay/Amazon but if pressed for time you can get them from hobbycraft if there's one near you xx

Used to do lots of cakes and been to loads of classes.

I agree sugerflair is the best. You need a paste rather than the liquid from the supermarkets.

Hobbycraft and the range sell paste. Used them both and they are good one was Wilton and that was good.
Can't remember the make from the range BUT if you get it from the range avoid the purple as it dries out a horrible grey colour. I did cupcakes pink and purple for my DD a few years back and the purple/ lilac looked awful the next day.

Another vote for sugarflair pastes. But choose your colour with care- butter cream is yellowy so will influence the colour. And also think about whether it's going to be hot.......

Thanks - I've got time so will check out sugarflair for a paste.
I'd forgotten about the impact of colour - anyone done any dark colours in buttercream?

I've used minuscule amounts of Sugarflair Grape Violet to neutralise the pale yellow colour of buttercream before. When you use it in bigger quantities it's a good strong purple, on the redder side of the purple spectrum.

Purple, especially those on the bluer side of the spectrum, can fade to a greyish tone if you leave it out in daylight/sunlight so make sure it's somewhere dark until you bring it out.

I attempted a black buttercream once. It did not work out well. It turned a sort of streaky pine-forest green.

Thanks scrambled - a deep purple was one of my options so might go with that...