What is the best way to get a nice black and a deep brown without using chocolate in the icing? I've always started with chocolate and added black to get it a good dark color, but the family doesn't like chocolate icing, so I need to be able to create a black (for john deere tractor cake) and brown (for a pink & brown purse cake) without using chocolate icing. And I'm not using fondant for either, using indydebi's bc icing.

TIA for your help.

just get some americolor and keep squirting until you get it as dark as you'd like.....and for the record I find that it takes a lot more color to make black fondant than it does to make black icing! I never start with chocolate icing...for my black or dark browns........just use americolor and you'll be fine

thanks... i do have the americolor gels, just haven't had to use black or brown yet and didn't know if they work better than wiltons (which don't work great! LOL) do you find that adding so much gel you sometimes go back and add a little more sugar so it's not too soft?

Americolor works SO much better than Wilton...really - go ahead and try it. You'll be amazed. Their Super Red works great too.