I found a cute ladybug cake in my Family Fun Party book.

I need red frosting....deep red, like a ladybug. Will food coloring get it dark enough for me?

Any other thoughts?

Thank you!

Just depending on the type of red food coloring you are using. If it is Wilton gel it will take the whole bottle. I use the Americolor from this website and it doesn't take much at all or alter the taste. Good luck!!

I use both Wilton and Americolor - like Americolor better. But, Wilton does sell a "No Taste Red" color - so you can use a lot to get the bright color you want with a less bitter taste. Are you going the fondant or bc route?

I'm just a Mom baking a cake for my daughter LOL! I wouldn't even know how to do a fondant cake!

But, after visiting this site the last couple of days, I think I'll enroll in a cake decorating class!

I'm a SAHM and would LOVE a creative outlet!!!! Thanks for your help!

If you have trouble getting the red colour you could always change the colour!!! I did a pink, lemon and purple one! I used fondant for mine but I think the colour combination would look just as good in butter cream!

Thanks for sharing! I LOVE the color combo!

I wish you lived closer and I'd pay you to make it for me!!!!

I've made the red icing for my ladybug from Wilton's. I use a mix of the red and the no taste red. You do not have to use a whole bottle. Make the icing a few days in advance and the color will deepen as time goes by. The same for black too. Here's a link to my pic.
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&uname=kittiskakes&cat=0&pos=41

just had to comment on how excellent your ladybug theme was socake. love the pastel colors! very nice!

There is also the spray on color from wilton. It may work better than the wilton colors because you wouldn't have to use as much of it. I have read a couple of threads where adding too much red coloring to icing has caused it to separate.

The spray on color I am talking about is
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30CC9B-475A-BAC0-5F9882E09D5A7630&fid=8130DC67-475A-BAC0-5F7AA15D8CA33116

I usually start by coloring my white icing with wilton pink. Once it stops changing color then I start to add the red. Doesn't take as much coloring and it seems to get more of a true red color for me.

HTH

Leily

P.S. I love the pastel lady bug, what a cute idea!

I have not tried the pint to red method, but I've heard it works well.

I'm currious, has anyone tried the spray on color before? I wonder if it goes on really fine (like air brush would) or if it comes out spotty beady?

I agree, that pastel bug is darling. And the little cup cakes are too cute!

I have recently started using the wilton spray coloring and LOVE it! I find it very easy to use and gives a great look.

Being your new at this (I will not repeat that phrase that started with "just", because there is no "just" in SAHM) maybe you could do what I often do. Go buy a tube or two, maybe three, depending on the size of the cake, of red icing at Wal-Mart or your local craft store. That saves a lot of hassle. And whatever you don't use, you can return and get your money back. Same for black, just get a tube of it. I think the tubes of icing are just about $1.59, and they are great for stars.

I'm with JulieB. Having found the Wilton red in a tube, when my 4yo asks for a ladybug cake, I use one of those on 1/2 of a sports ball pan cake. Super easy! And, for a picky 4yo, who has to have everything 'just so' only red ladybugs will do...as much I love the one posted above! In time, we'll become more flexible (I hope)!

I did use fondant to form the heads on both of mine...in my gallery...

Good luck and HAVE FUN!

I agree about the spray being a good short cut for real red. Before I got my airbrush, I had to do an elmo cake for my nephew and my sister wanted the whipped icing. The whipped icing does not get real red no matter how much color you add. So, I got the spray color and it added the right red and wasn't too hard to control.