Can't get my buttercream red!!!

[pampam24]

Hi all, HELP!

I don't usually bake, but I'm trying to make cupcakes for my sons birthday and I can't get the shades right on the buttercream.

Was trying to achieve red and orange (toadstools and foxes). I've used have a tube of red colouring gel on a sample of the icing and it's not veering away from pink! Gutted. What have I don't wrong? It's just butter and icing sugar.

I did better with orange (yellow and red) but it's more of a peach.

I had no idea it would be difficult to colour buttercream.

Any ideas?

Sugarflair paste for icing. It gets much richer colours. Not sure specifically where you'd get it (a good cake decorating/craft shop might have).

You need to use the really high concentrate professional food c9lour paste for a true red, this brand is generally good https://www.amazon.co.uk/Velvet-Red-Spectral-Paste-Sugarflair/dp/B00ITRC07M/ref=asc_df_B00ITRC07M/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310843163501&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=872794298789813758&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045370&hvtargid=pla-423875828579&psc=1
Remember you're going from white to quite a dark colour, if you wanted to make white paint red, you would have to add a lot of red paint or pigment to do so. The icing won't taste as good with lots of food dye but that is natural, as you have to add so much to get it a vivid red.

Red buttercream is difficult. There are some powdered colours that do well, and gel colouring can be good. It can also develop further if left overnight but red is difficult.

Buy a ready made tube or block that is already the correct colour would be my advice.

@Missedmytoe @DinosaurOfFire thank you!! Ordering it now. Xx

You need "red extra"

I saw a lady on TikTok put the buttercream
In the microwave for 30 seconds or so, it separated but then she mixed it back together and let it cool a bit and it was proper red. Not tried it myself though!

You need it darker, you can add a bit of cocoa powder or a black colouring to help.

The pastes are generally better/stronger than the gel, you also need to be careful with too much colouring , sometimes it alters the taste of the icing esp when trying to get a good red.

I second this - it does work.

Extra red sugar flair is brilliant

Extra red plus a touch of cocoa powder

A other trick is to actually neutralise the icing first then add desired shade
A tiny drop of purple will neutralise the yellow of the butter. Mix fully, then add desired shade to white icing.

can you still get cochineal?

Agree with PPs, the gel isn't strong enough. Have you got a Range near you? Ours stocks the sugarflair paste.

Try taking a small amount of the butter cream out mix the colours to that then put in the microwave for 30 secs. Then mix it all through the rest of your butter cream

The microwave trick works, but also use a stick blender and you’ll see the colour deepen before your eyes.