I know that there was a thread about putting violet or blue coloring in your icing and that would make it really white. Well, I tried this and came out with a very ugly shade of gray. Did I put to much in? I would really like for this to work because I always use butter in my icing and love the way it tastes. Most of the time it is no big deal because I color the icing but I am making a cake in a few days that I want really white white. Could you tell me what I am doing wrong?

Are you making it out of all butter? I use half butter (store brand) and half crisco and mine is always white. You can also buy white coloring from wilton and americolor but it may take a lot of it. If you are using 1/2 & 1/2 don't use butter flavord crisco or it will be yellow. Hope this helps.

I think I saw somewhere that you can buy white coloring for frosting. Don't remember if it was here or if I saw it in the store.

just barely touch the tip of a toothpick into the blue color.

and adding to an icing that is slightly yellow from the butter may not work as well. try using shortening and a butter flavoring

I do use half butter/ half crisco. It still has the duller white color. I have used the wilton's white coloring but you have to use so much of IT.

You can get powdered white food coloring from cake decorating supply stores and online suppliers. (My local supplier carries it...I forget the manufacturer.) Also, white color for airbrush is the same thing. It's got a water base, however, and will thin your icing. YOu have to plan ahead and substitute the coloring for some of the liquid in your recipe. It's all the same stuff - titanium dioxide. So, it doesn't matter what form you find it in...it's all going to whiten the same way. Just get the cheapest you can find. I prefer the powdered by far.

You probably did put in a bit too much violet. Just a dot or two from a toothpick end usually does the job. If you still have that "gray" icing, try adding one or two tiny dots of yellow to it and you may be surprised at how white it will look. I do this will all butter, 1/2 crisco 1/2 butter, and butter flavored crisco and find that it works every time if you're patient and just add the violet a dot at a time.

Rae

You might also check into different brands of butter, some are less yellow. If you beat the butter first by itself, you can also whiten it some.

stupid question, probably, but you are using clear vanilla, aren't you?

In the are I am from you can buy white butter