Ok, I need help! I think I posted this question in another forum, and now I can't find the forum, so I'm asking again.

BUTTERCREAM - If I want to tint m buttercream in dark colors. Ie red, navy blue, dark green, etc. how canI do so without making the frosting taste bitter?? I've tried it before and it always taste bitter so I end up buying the precolored icing. Also black - very important!! I want my buttercream jet black - blacker than black - I'm talking black. Any hints??? PS w/o making the buttercream taste bitter!!

Try using another brand...Americolor is a good brand that doesn't leave an aftertaste.

When I do black I always put purple and brown in first this helps the color get darker. Then add black. If all tou use is black you will use the entire thing. Also let the icing set over night, refredgerated, and the color will get darker, red mainly, it gets darker with time

I forgot to add...about the black, try starting with chocolate or brown icing first. It gets to black a lot faster and the chocolate usually masks any bitterness. Americolor though will take icing from white to black pretty easily....add enough Super Black or Black Black till it turns a dark grey and then let it set for a while. It'll deepen to a really nice black.

Lisa & Sheila, thanks for the tip. I will try them, especially using chocolate icing and then mixing the black. I never thought of them. Thanks to the both of you!! and to whomever else will post info on this forum!!

In addition to what everyone else said, when I make a really dark icing, I color it at LEAST 3-4 days in advance to let the color come up. You will see in my photos I got a really beautiful burgundy and a nice "Elmo" red by doing it this way. HTH!

Also--I usually buy my black icing. Since I don't use a ton of it--it's definately worth it. I don't decorate with it in the tube, however, I put it in parchment.

Lisa

I use Americolor.. no aftertaste, tints to the darkest shades that you need... just mix up ahead of time, let it sit (in a airtight container) and it'll darken right up

Thanks a bunch for the tips!!!! Now i know to only use Americolor for dark colors!!! The tips will save me $$ because now I don't have to buy the pre-colored tubes anymore!! Thanks a million everyone!!!

If I have other dark colors in the frig I take a little from each then add a little black coloring. It's a good way to use left over icing and you don't need as much black coloring

I just colored some buttercream and I did what everyone said - I let it sit. The colors I wanted, came out beautiful and they did not have a bitter taste. I used the Americolor as suggested. Thanks guys for your help!!!

Whenever I need to mix a dark color...such as black. I make chocolate buttercream and then mix in black icing color. It keeps the icing from tasting bitter and makes a very nice dark color