Just curious, does anyone have a tried-and-true color combination to make a nice, dark red (not burgundy, more of a dark red rose red) using confectioner's sugar buttercream? I don't do dark icing colors too often, I guess, but today I needed a dark red to pipe around the base of the tiers. I got it to about a dark brick red, but it wasn't really red red, you know? I used red gel color, some burgundy gel color, then let it sit overnight in case it was going to get darker or fade out altogether, since I know how red food coloring can be . It did get a little darker, but I still put some red-red airbrush color in it this morning. It's okay, but it gets to the point where it won't get any redder than it is. Would powder food colors work better? I've never used those so I'm not familiar with how they work in buttercream. The color was fine in the end, but I was wondering if there's an easier way to get the darker red.

I usually use a gel coloring thats called red-red, no taste. Becareful if the red your adding doesn't say no taste because it can be awful if you add too much! I just have to add a bunch and usually it comes out nice deep rose red.

I use chefmaster liqua gel and get a very bright red. It takes very little campared to all other gel colors. No taste and it doesn't have to sit overnight.

I start by colouring my icing a dark pink. Then, I add no taste red until I get the colour I want. It's easier to get a nice red starting from a dark pink than from white.