I got an order for half a sheet cake and 18 cupcakes....she wants to the cupcakes iced in BC red icing. I don't know how to make it red without it being too pink. Please help.

Thanks, Kim

As long as she does not mind it being chocolate flavored I would start by giving the icing a brown tone by adding cocoa powder, that way you won't have add nearly as much red coloring (be prepared it takes a ton!).

Deborah

I used tips from this forum to get the "red" really red. I started by using yellow then letting it sit for an hour or so and then adding orange and again letting it set and then red about four times letting it set in between each time and then overnight.
You can see the red in my spiderman cake in my photos.
Hope that helps,
Susie

Recently, I read an article about making a really red fondant and the article suggested using cherry-flavored powdered drink mix to obtain that deep coloring without the medicinal/metal/ick taste. I have not had a need to try this but I have often wondered if it works.

Now I'm wondering if the same results could be achieved by mixing some of this powdered mix into buttercream.

susies1955 plan for red is intriguing too! Now I have two new things to ponder today.

I've heard of using red kool-aid but haven't tried it yet.....what I do is make a whole batch of red buttercream and use supermarket red liquid food color (or red airbrush color) in place of the milk or water called for in the buttercream recipe. You need very little, if any additional color at this point & you don't have to wait so long for the color to deepen.

Susie and Saisy's ideas do work and help and cost less than buying the "no taste" red, which required 3 bottles in one of my cakes to get an actual true red color! That adds up and still has a little wang to the taste, in my opinion...though I could have just been worried and imagining it!

The cocoa does help get a darker red, more than the pink you can get. And Susie's idea of the color mixing really helps and can even give you a variety of shades. I tried her advice and loved it.

Has anyone tried the powder drink colors? I was just wondering about the flavoring. I assume it changes the flavor to coordinate with the flavor of the drink??? Could be interesting, especially for a kid cake!

I didn't care for the Kool-Aid trick in the buttercream. It was very bitter, and I would only recommend it if you're doing a small part of a cake with red. If you're using red as your main color, personally, I'd skip the Kool-Aid.

I use Americolor, and don't usually have any problems achieving red on the first try. Susies1955 has a great idea I've also done this and been very pleased with the results!

I would try it out first, to make sure it will work for you! Good luck!

Robyn

Americolor Super Red - I can't say enough about it. Great stuff!

I second Americolor Super Red, I buy the big bottle it comes in handy (the black too). No more entire bottles of Wilton's no taste red mixed with red red and christmas red.
Start by tinting/coloring your icing pink and then add Super Red. The color will deepen the longer it sits. The lightning McQueen in my pictures was done this way and I was pleased how red he was.

America Color Super Red is the way to go.

You don't have to put in a ton to get the red you're looking for.