Hi-
I'm doing a cake this weekend and I need a large part of it tinted black (BC frosting). I've always used the wilton icing colors that come in the little jars....but for black I end up using at least an entire jar and it still doesn't come out totally black. I don't understand why other colors require just a drop and the black just never works for me.
ANYhow.... does anyone use anything else that works good to get a super black frosting? I'm going to the cake shop in a few hours, and any help would be appreciated! I would prefer to use a tint (if possible) vs using chocolate frosting and then tinting that. I thought about going to the grocery store and getting one of those betty crocker tubes, because they are truly black.... but I can't stand the flavor of those things.
Hopefully I don't have to go that route!
Thanx in advance!
Denise
Denise, I have the same problem, but I've found out that if I let the icing set after adding the black, it darkens up after about 30 minutes. (All colors get darker that way.) It still takes a lot of color to get it black, but other than starting with chocolate, that's what I've done. HTH!
Good luck.
I try to use a chocolate icing first, then add the black food color. I use the gels from CK Products. The icing will need to sit a bit and I have found that it helps to cover it with plastic wrap directly on the icing itself. You will still need to use quite a bit.
I have seen other posts here from other CC members who absolutely swear by the Americolor black.
Hope this helps.
Odessa
bkdcakes -
I do usually let it sit and it does darken... but never to black... I usually get a dark grey-ish color. I remember one cake I used two entire little tint containers and I still didn't get a true black.
reenie-
I could try to tint brown, then tint black... haven't tried that before (I had only heard of the 'use chocolate icing then tint that black' way - and I don't want a chocolate flavor.
Thanx you both very much.... I just wish there was a good tint... I'm really surprised there isn't.
Denise
I always start with chocolate bc and if you use dark chocolate you will need hardly any black food color at all. The ghost and witch cakes in my photos were done like this. I keep left overs frozen in small containers so if I need black accents I don't have to make up an entire batch of chocolate bc. 
I have gotten black-black by starting with a dark color to begin with. I just mixed a bunch of other dark colors together (blue, green, brown, etc) until it looks like an awful yucky color, then add some black. let it rest a few minutes, then VOILA! Black!
Oh, yeah, just remember that when you use a lot of a dark color on a cake, it will normally turn peoples tongues and teeth a funky color.
Ameri Colors are great. Most cake supply stores carry them. If you don't know what they look like you can check them out on CC.
On the note of tinting brown then black.... I tinted regular BC brown and ended up using the ENTIRE brand new container of brown (wilton colors) and didn't get a brown brown, it came out like a dark olive green. The color can be seen on the cupcakes in my photos. It wasn't near brown at all. I would suggest using the Americolors, if your stores don't carry them I posted a thread asking where to buy them (check all posts by me from my profile if needed) and someone gave me a great bunch of links and I ordered them online and they were in here in a couple days and they offer express shipping as well. I would highly recommend using Americolors, alot of people swear by them and although I haven't tried tried them yet I have them and people say they work better then wilton colors at getting the color you desire. 
When I have to use black in any amount and I do not like to because of the taste...I use the pre colored Wilton tubes...I have used it for Harley Davidson FBCT's and several College cakes. It is pretty easy to work with...I squeeze it out of the tubes into my bags though.
I can't find the Americolor anywhere locally, but I am going to break down and order some. Good luck!
I usually start off with a chocolate BC first, then add Americolor Black. Works perfectly and the taste is not bad.
If you look in my photos at the volleyball cake, the black outlines were achieved this way. The longer it sits the darker it gets. Oh, I made a rhyme.
hth
HEYS GUYS,
Can anyone tell me how to get a gold color out of chocolate bc icing, IF IT IS AT ALL POSSIBLE!
THANK YOU
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