With Halloween coming up, I'm going to need to make lots of black icing. Problem is, I have tried and hadnt had much success. I tried doing a search and couldnt find anything 
Any tips for dying icing black? Preferably buttercream? Or is it usually chocolate buttercream, in which case, might I ask a good recipe?
I have tried the wilton gels but found it made it look grainy, and it wasnt jet black.
Thanks in advance 
I had to make a good bit of black icing for my xbox cake and what I found works best is to make a chocolate BC. I used Wilton's. Then I added Americolors Super Black. It took a good bit. The colors will darken after a while so I stopped when I got a dark grey, the next morning it was black! I worked myself up for this before doing it b/c I had always heard bad things about making black but it was rather simple!
I was told to make brown first then add the black. I haven't tried it yet, though.
I have made black icing, but I had to use about 2 full jars of the Wilton Black Icing Color. I also used it to dye my white Fondant & I got a very deep dark black. You sometimes just have to use alot of color to get what you want. Hope this helps.
Thanks everyone for the quick responses! I know what I'll be trying out tomorow 
Great tips!
I have always used chocolate buttercream to get black. My recipe is this:
1 stick butter
1/2 cup crisco
4 cups sifted sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons mexican vanilla
milk or half and half to thin
I like this recipe because it gives it a nice dark brown color. You can use less cocoa if you want...it still tastes good. I guess it depends on how chocolatey you like your icing.
traci
I've made black, however not a full batch at a time using both vanilla buttercream & chocolate buttercream. It does take a good bit of coloring, but it's not nearly as hard as you expect it to be based on what others tell you. Just be patient with it. I would recommend even using dutch processed cocoa, which is much darker than regular cocoa, that will give u a big headstart in the right direction.
Thanks everyone! I cant wait to try that recipe of yours Traci. Your all so helpfull 
I had to make 2 full batches of it for the 3 cakes I made last week and I first made it chocolate and then it took 1 1/2 jars of the wilton gel black. Even after I used all the black I had it still looked more of a charcoal gray but after it sat out for about and hour it was VERY BLACK...I would hate to see pictures of the people who ate that cake I bet they all had gray teeth..LOL
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%