Help! I must not be doing something right. How do I get a true red, bright or deep red, buttercream? I've tried no-taste red, christmas red and even mixing the two and all I ever get is a pretty hot pink. Help!

I usually use No taste red, mixed with Red, Red and a bit of black to get a deep red. My husband is a painter and he usually helps me with the color mixing. Hope this helps you out.

I make a whole batch of red buttercream at a time and freeze leftovers. Use red liquid food coloring (the Durkee or McCormick brand you get at the supermarket) in place of the liquid called for in your buttercream recipe, and you won't have to add much color beyond that. I've even used red liquid airbrush color in a pinch...works great!

Usually after letting it set for a day or two the color deepens. And that happens with most colors I have found, not just red. I made a teal colored cake this weekend for my daughter. Mixed it up and it seemed like a light turquoise, but the next day I iced the cake and it deepened even more once it was on the cake and was the perfect color of teal for her.