Noooooo!!-- My Pink Buttercream Keeps Getting Speckles!!!!
Decorating By elvis Updated 30 Apr 2006 , 5:17am by CakesWithAttitude
This has happened with other colors in the past. I mixed up some buttercream earlier today, tinted it light pink and it was ready to roll for decorating cupcakes tomorrow. Now its all speckled with tiny dark pink spots!!! Not the look I'm going for. How can I keep this from happening?
Lemme guess, Wilton colour, right? I HATE that when it happens!!! It's the gel not properly dissolving in the icing so you are seeing little bits of the actual gel colour. It's so maddening!!!
As to how to prevent it, I'm hoping someone else has some ideas.......
Yes, its Wilton. 
Its the bigger size too and I'm nowhere near finished with it-- But if its the gel that's flawed, I may just have to buy some more (another brand if I can find it) tomorrow. It would be so embarrassing to hand over a giant box of speckled cupcakes.
I've had that problem way too many times myself! Yes, Wilton. One reason could be if it's aged a bit. Another could be if any other substance came in contact with the tint in the past, i.e. any tiny bit of icing that was unknowingly on your toothpick (or whatever you use to retrieve your tint). If any of the smallest amount of icing gets in your jar, you can almost be sure you'll have specks in the future.
I have had NO luck finding any other brands in stores around my area. I would have to order on line to get any other brand. Too bad my husband won't let me order much off the net....or is it too bad???? I could get in deep if I wasn't careful!!!
Anyway, your best bet is to buy fresh tint (even if it has to be Wilton), be sure NOTHING comes into contact with it and be sure to tighten the cap good and even store it inside an air tight container or zip lock bag for the future.
Hope everything works out ok for you!!!
elly
I've seen it suggested that those specks are caused by undissolved salt crystals reacting with the dye. Have no idea if that theory will hold water, but I throw it out for what it's worth. I do know that when you're dying fabric, you can sprinkle on salt to get unusual effects.
has happened to me too... not wilton though .... other liquid colours... I thought it was some of the colour drying on the dropper that then perhaps fell into my buttercream????? mmmmm not sure.... love to know the answer and how to prevent it from happening
Hmmmm...maybe its me that's flawed and not the gel. I always make sure I wipe the buttercream off my toothpick with a papertowel before going in for another dip of food coloring-- but I should probably just get a new toothpick each time. I didn't realize the consequences. Now I'm wondering how many of my colors I've messed up! Those gels aren't cheap!
Ugggg. That sounds like the most likely reason for me, but if anyone else has another theory, I'm all ears!!
I don't know how to prevent it, but as for finding other brands besides Wilton --- if you have a Williams-Sonoma in your area check with them. Ours carries icing color that is in the same type bottles as the Americolor gels. I just happened upon them when I was browsing the cake stuff there one day and was surprised to see they had them. Anyway, I haven't tried them yet, but if anyone does I'd love to know how they do!
Mine did that too, i just bought the coloring of this web site, arrived in 2 days too!!! That was the cheapest delivery option too, i was quite suprised. Anyways, its the americolor kind, i havent used it yet. But its the squeez bottle so you dont have to stick a tooth pick in it. I hate that, cus ive always got a ton of toothpicks layin around. lol
I think it may be the salt it if is just specks. You need to be sure to completely dissolve the salt in your liquid BEFORE adding it to your butter/crisco. I've also had chunks of gel (can't describe it very well) in my icing which is definitely Wilton...I started putting the gel bottle in the microwave for a few seconds to make it runny, no more gel streaks in my icing! I don't know if this is the right thing to do but it works for me. 
I used to have this happen too!! Pink, orange, green, purple, didn't matter! Used to make me so mad! I had read on here that it might be the salt so I started dissolving it in some of the water that I added to the icing. Didn't help. I ordered some Americolor from here! Love it!! Haven't had it happen since then!! I was soooo happy!!
I finally quit using the Wilton Ivory color for just that reason.
I bought four - and all four made speckles.
Grrrrr......
Now - I just blend my own Ivory.
Ok, i used my americolor today, I LOVE IT. You have to try it. No more tooth picks, and at .99 cents, cant beat that. Then youll have no more speckles.
p.s. i dont know if its the salt cus alot of the time i always forget to add salt and it still happens to me. It happens when the coloring is actually gritty already in the container.
I have a problem with it when my gel is older or more pasty. It doesn't dissolve in the frosting. If I let it sit after I mix it for a while (covered of course) then mix it again it helps.
This happens to me and anyone I know when using Wal-mart brand shortening. Don't use it. I even did an experiment once and sure enough; the wal-mart shortening caused this. other off brands will do this sometimes too
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%