Hi Ladies and Gents (if any of you are left) :-)  

I'm making chocolate American buttercream (half butter half "hi ratio" shortening) and need to color it a very dark burgundy.  In my test frosting, the flavor of the coloring is coming through.  I'm using Americolor gel.  I'm thinking that if I add more chocolate and use a good dark chocolate, it will help mask the icky coloring flavor.  What is the highest ratio of chocolate to buttercream that will not ruin the buttercream?  Can you put too much?  

Thanks! 
Christina

You can use too mucyh - it will make the icing very thick.  You will just have to self test this to see how much you can get into your icing before it is thick & dry.  But it also will change the color.  It is VERY hard to color dark chocolate icing!

I've never even considered trying to color chocolate frosting.  I would think it would have to be an awfully pale chocolate to be able to achieve any successful coloring and only in the range of colors which include brown hues.

 hey — looks like last call — the lights are flickering here —

let’s meet up on  “keep calm and cake on” on fb