This is not a bona fide (sp?) disaster because the cake was for family and I'd just had a baby 6 days before (so I wasn't that concerned... 
My DD was getting an Elmo face cake for her 2nd bday, ordered the pan off of ebay, was all set. I made my bc and for some reason it came out weird tasting. I usually use the Wilton proportions, except I sub in unsalted sweet cream butter, which I like. (I have also used regular salted butter and it was fine). This time my DH had to go out and buy my icing ingredients and he bought salted sweet cream butter. When I made my icing it was extremely buttery and odd tasting. We decided it was inedible so he ran out and just bought 2 tubs of store bought whipped icing (like I said, I'd just had a baby, didn't really care). Well, whipped icing turns to icing soup when you are adding coloring to it and stirring and stirring. My MIL was trying to tell me that "those Wilton gel colors are good! You only need a little to make red..." (HA--I knew better than that). Anyway, I eventually ran out of gel and managed to get a lovely magenta Elmo Ahh, who cares. DD ate it up and recognized that it was (supposed to be) Elmo, so all's well that ends well.
I would be interested to know ya'lls thoughts on the original bc situation. Anyone use unsalted sweet cream butter, regular butter, etc...what have you found to get the best results?
I use reg. butter but what I wanted to tell you is when I want my butter cream red I usally use the powder red it is sold in cake supply stores and it works great I have used the wiltons gel red it's not so I have also heard (never tried it) that red koll-aide work good also for read color.
Molly2
Congratulations on your new baby!!!
When I make my buttercream recipes, I always use unsalted sweet cream butter (usually Land O' Lakes brand) and have never had complaints about any that I have made. I wonder what could have happened to yours?
When it comes to red, I ALWAYS have a problem. I like Americolor and ChefMaster colors. But I either get the shade of red I want and it tastes absolutely terrible (yes, even when I use Wilton's "no taste red"), or I get an off-shade. (There must be a forum on this topic somewhere on CC... 
)
Anyway.... 
Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl!!! 
Ok, whipped icing is a little different than bc and it always comes lighter, but I just Wilton gels, I use pink till I get hot pink and then I add red no taste until I get red, obviously the longer it sits the more red it gets. So if your in a hurry or don't care then give it a little time.
Nicki
I have to admit, I was confused for a second why you were making Elmo red, until I realized I was thinking of Grover. :0P
When I was little and watching Sesame Street, Grover was the 'in' monster.
Happy Birthday to the new little one!
It was probably cute since it was for a girl! Plus did I read that right. You had just had a baby six days before?? My goodness... my child would have been lucky to get frosting with her cake if I had just had a baby. JK... I'm sure your cake was great and built with tons of love
I wanna see magenta Elmo - post a pic! 
Congratulations on Charlotte's birthday, and Ivy's birth!!!
Somewhere on this lovely site someone posted how to get a nice "real" red. I use this method every time and have yet to be disapointed.
First start with yellow
2nd add orange
3rd add your red- I use Wilton's No taste red. Keep adding because at first, it will look like a wierd orangey red. Just as you start to panic and are ready to give up, voila! a perfect beautiful red. It works every time.
If you make it the night before, the next day it is really brighter 
HTH
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