I need to make red buttercream (the color of Mickey's pants) and I typically use Wiltons gel coloring, how much of the no taste red would I need in order to make a truley red buttercream? Is there a trick to getting it red without using an entire bottle? I will be making 4 cups of buttercream, if that helpd. Thanks in advance

There is no magic recipe or formula. Making red BC takes a lot of color. Just have a bottle or two of the no taste color on hand and start mixing. When you think you are almost at the right color...STOP. The red tends to intensify as it sits.
Hope this helps

When I made Elmo's fur, I used a little of Wilton's rose pink to start the color change in my all butter recipe and then added almost a full small jar of the Wilton No Taste Red. I mixed in a tiny amount of burgundy. I also added meringue powder to the batch.

The icing didn't bleed and wasn't bitter and it was the perfect red. It will darken as the batch sits so add half a small jar of the No Taste Red and check it in an hour and see if you like the results.

If you can buy Americolors Super Red at Hobby Lobby, you'll use less than you would with the Wilton gels.

Even the no taste has a taste IMO. When I use color on cake I always layer on regular buttercream, get it cold and hard and and then top it with a thin layer of color to avoid taste or staining issues. You just have to use so much color for red. And yes, it does darken so let it sit a while.

There is a similar thread going on now here:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-7063107.html#7063107

Jen9936 - I love the cuppies in your avatar! They remind me of 'schmuzzies' in a kids tv programme called "The Upside Down Show"

Re: red bc - I have resorted to using my airbrush now for red, or black, or deep purple cakes. Overall its less colour and much less of the foul taste issue.

I could never get red from the Wilton colors, always got pink. I have a cake store in my area. They have red powder that I use. It will give me a nice true red color. I also use the powder for black as well.

thanks everyone. the red I got will do, it's kind of a washed out denim red (if denim was red and washedout)...it is close to the cupcake cups I am using, so I think it will be ok.