Best Way To Make A Pretty Red Buttercream That Won't Bleed?
Decorating By Pyxxydust Updated 12 Oct 2006 , 5:51am by pookster
Hey guys!
I know people have posted this question before, but I'm at work so I can't take the time to search (shhhh, don't tell my boss!). I need to make some red roses to go on a white cake. To avoid having to use too much red - I've heard different ways to acheive it - I think I heard making it pink first, but I also think I read that you can make it a light colored chocolate icing and then put the red in, and it will acheive a dark red much faster than doing it from white. Has anyone tried either of these, or some other way to get to a nice red? Also, do I need to worry about the red bleeding on the white? Is it true that adding mereingue powder keeps it from bleeding or is there some other way? If so, I think that will also help make it stiffer so the petals stay up nicely.
Oh - and what's the best shade of red for roses? I have Americolor SuperRed (but I don't know if I have enough of it), Wilton's Red and Wilton's No Taste Red - I haven't made red buttercream in so long so I don't know what's the prettiest. I guess I'll just have to try them all out.
Thanks for any info all you fabulous cake decorators can give me!
Melissa
i have used red koolaid and red jello to make my buttercream
goodluck
i've used cherry koolaid to make red frosting for my red white & blue cake in my photos, it was a bit tart though. that cake was made with whipped cream buttercream and i had to use about 2 packets of red for about 2 cups of frosting. i'm not sure about the bleeding but i didnt find any on my cake. i'm sure someone will give some ideas on how to achieve red with the colors you have.
Not sure about the bleeding, but I can help with the red color. 
Here's what I do: I use Wilton pink and rose to create hot pink. I use equal amounts to start. I use a toothpick and only use one toothpick of each color. Sometimes depending on the shade, I will add a little bit more pink. The pink helps to create the hot pink color, but I found you do need the rose to really get hot pink. Don't know why these work, but they do. Then when I have hot pink, I add about 4 or 5 drops of Americolors Super Red and mix it in thoroughly. It will darken in a few hours, whether you use it right away or not. 
My buttercream recipe is all crisco, so I don't know if this is the same if you use 50/50 butter/crisco.
HTH,
Chelle
Any questions, feel free to PM me.
I find that if I put my decorated cakes in the fridge after they are complete that the darker colors don't bleed. Or maybe I've just been lucky. I think by chilling the whole frosted cake that it kind of sets the colors whereas if I leave it at room temp ( overnight especially) that they will bleed like crazy.
Give it a try!
KimAZ
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