Hi,

I just cannot get Red to look like red. It either goes into pink and then I just add more gel paste and then it goes into a cerise pink and that's where it stops. I started with a white buttercream and added the wiltons Red-Red gel colour.
Can anyone tel me what I'm doing wrong?????

You'll need to add a good bit of the red colouring.
If you can get the Wilton No Taste Red colouring, then you don't have to worry about there being a bitter after taste.

Also, try leaving your icing to rest a while, over night if possible, and it will darken with time.

Hope that helps.

I mix my deep colors at least 2 full days ahead of when I need them, preferably more like 4 days. And it does take a good amount of red to actually make red.

Good Luck!

Firstly, use Americolor if you can, it colours far better than Wilton. Secondly, start by tinting your buttercream with pink or orange, this, for some reason really helps. Thirdly, as the others have said, do it at least 24 hours before you need it - it will darken over time. It will also get darker once it's on the cake and crusted. I've done red lots of times and these are the best tips I can give you to achieve a good red - you'll also find that against other colours, it will always look redder than it did in the bowl on its own! Good luck!

well one way to get red is to buy the pink frosting and add red.

IMO, deep red icing colored with the "No Taste" red icing color by Wilton most certainly has a taste: strong and bitter. Blech.

I recently bought some Americolor super red but haven't had the opportunity to taste it.

I color the icing orange and then add red and a tiny tiny bit of black (I can't stress tiny enough) And I get a nice deep red color.

Thanks everyone for the input.....I'm going to try this tonight.
Will let you know tomorrow how it turned out.

I also have had this problem and Sarah Jane has a great point. I have tried just a touch of black. I saw them do it in a paint store one time to get and very light shade of tan. I asked why black? They didn't know either, it was just in the instructions. I was a little puzzled about the black but it works like a charm.

I use americolor & I love it!! To get the red try coloring small amounts of icing at a time...I've found it works better for me that way.

I too use a bit of black. I found that it also helps if I add some burgundy when mixing. I use Wilton's colors.

I use the wilton no taste red and the red powdered food coloring.. Between the two it makes a nice red color.

Boy, I can't wait to try the tiny bit of black trick!

I've never done this one myself, but a lady in one of my wilton classes says that she uses a bit of strawberry flavoring and then uses the color. I've also heard of using a bit of kool-aid.

I need to color some fondant red to make a flag, would it be better to color it orange first?

I use "No Taste Red." I've never had a complaint about it tasting. If you look in my photos there is a red cake (Jimmy's 50th Birthday). I used 2 and a half jars of the Wilton "No Taste" to get it that red. It did get darker over night too! Good luck!
Ellen

You can use pink to make your white icing pink, then add red to that. Also the longer your icing sits the darker it should get.

There's another thread on Red Icing, with many good tips.

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-29112-.html

Karen