Make Black Icing

Making a deep black icing can be tricky--you can end up with gray instead of black or a nasty, bitter flavor. Keep reading to learn the secrets of making a true black icing, and what to do if you run into any problems along the way.

Ingredients

  • Cocoa powder (optional)
  • Store-bought or homemade icing
  • Black food dye, liquid or gel (preferably gel)

Steps

Make Black Icing Using Black Dye

  1. Buy or make your icing. Unless your heart is set on vanilla, go with a chocolate icing. Starting with a brown-colored icing means you have to use less dye to achieve a black hue.[1]
    • You can still start with a white icing, but you will probably have to add flavoring later to cover the bitterness of the dye.
    • You can dye most icing--including buttercream, cream cheese, or royal icing--black by following these instructions. Because royal icing is white, you may need to add flavoring or cocoa powder to hide the bitter flavor.
  2. Choose a black food coloring. You may be limited to what they carry at your local grocery store, but if you have a choice between liquid or gel coloring, choose the gel. You will use less of the gel than you would the liquid coloring.[1]
    • If you cannot find black dye, mix equal parts red, blue, and green food coloring. You won't get the "true" black like you would from the store-bought black, but you can achieve a very dark gray that can pass for black.[2]
  3. Thicken your icing if necessary. Adding the dye (especially liquid) may thin out your icing, which can lead to bleeding. Store-bought icing will probably be a fine consistency, as it is usually nice and thick.
    • To thicken, thoroughly mix in some sifted powdered (aka confectioner's) sugar.[3]
    • If you don't want your icing any sweeter but it's not thick enough, add some meringue powder instead.[3]
    • If you are using royal icing, drag a butter knife through the surface. Count how long it takes the icing to smooth back over. If it's between 5-10 seconds, your icing is thick enough. Any faster and you need to mix it longer or add a little sifted powdered sugar or meringue powder.[4]
  4. Transfer your frosting to a large glass or stainless steel bowl. The black dye may stain plastic.[5]
    • You may also want to wear an apron so you don't get any dye on your clothes.
  5. Add black dye to your icing a little bit at a time until you reach the desired shade. You will probably end up using a lot of dye--sometimes up to 1 oz or a teaspoon of coloring per cup[6]--but it's better to add it gradually so you don't accidentally overdo it and end up with runny or splotchy icing.[7]
  6. Mix dye thoroughly so there are no lumps or streaks in your icing.
  7. Taste the icing. Black icing can make your icing bitter and unpalatable. If this happens to your icing, look at section three (Addressing Common Problems) to learn how to cover the bitterness.
  8. Cover your icing and let it sit. If you are close to black but can't seem to get past a dark gray, give your icing a few hours to develop. The color will deepen over time, and in as little as one hour your dark gray icing can turn a rich, complex black.[1]
    • The color will continue to deepen even once you've piped it onto a cookie or cake, so if you are super short on time you can go ahead and decorate immediately. Just be aware you won't have the opportunity to troubleshoot if the icing doesn't develop into the black you want.[8]
    • Keep the icing out of direct light as it develops, as this can cause the black to fade.[6]
  9. Decorate your masterpiece!

Addressing Common Problems

  1. Be aware that black icing may stain people's teeth and lips. While you may want that deep, true black color, toning down the black by using less dye can help with this. Otherwise, just have plenty of water and napkins on hand.[7]
    • You can also avoid this problem by using black only sparingly. Try to use it just for accents and outlines.
  2. Add flavoring if your icing is bitter. A common problem with black dye is that it can give your icing a bitter flavor. If you plan to use only a little bit of black icing, this may not be too much of a problem. Otherwise, there are a couple ways you can hide the bitter taste.
    • Cocoa powder will give your icing a chocolatey taste and will help darken the color, too. In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of cocoa powder with 2 teaspoons of water (so it won't make lumps in your icing). If it's still bitter, add another 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.[5]
    • Add a strong flavor, like cherry or orange, to your icing. Use about 1 teaspoon per 2 cups of icing.[9]
    • If you can't have cocoa, substitute with carob powder.
  3. Add color or time if your icing isn't the right shade. Before you add any more dye, allow the frosting to sit for several hours. The color can change drastically in that time.
    • If your black has a green hue, add red food coloring one drop at at time.[1]
    • If your black has a purple hue, add green dye one drop at a time.[1]
  4. Take precautions to keep your icing from bleeding. Bleeding is usually cause by condensation. Store your icing in a cool, dark room instead of the refrigerator. If you are decorating a frozen cake or a cake that was just in the fridge, allow it to thaw and breathe before you begin to decorate.[6]
    • Avoid storing your cake or cookies in the refrigerator or an air-tight container at room temperature, as this can cause condensation and make your colors bleed.[6]
    • Try to use as little dye as possible when mixing your black. If you use too much, you can thin out the icing, which can cause it to bleed. If you have already added too much black dye, try thickening with a little powdered sugar. You will probably also want to flavor the dye to cover the bitterness of too much black.

Tips

  • Keep your cake out of direct sunlight and avoid lemon juice and cream of tartar to prevent color fade.

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Things You'll Need

  • Spatula
  • Water (optional)
  • Glass or stainless steel bowl

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.hurryupcakes.com/recipes/frosting-recipes/how-to-make-black-frosting
  2. ↑ http://www.hurryupcakes.com/recipes/frosting-recipes/how-to-make-black-frosting
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://bakingbites.com/2013/09/how-to-thicken-frosting/
  4. ↑ http://sweetopia.net/2009/09/how-to-decorate-cookies-with-royal-icing-top-10-tips/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/how-to-make-black-buttercream-icing/
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 http://www.wilton.com/decorating/icing/tips-on-coloring-icing.cfm
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2015/01/new-years-cookies-and-tips-for-making-black-royal-icing/
  8. ↑ http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2015/01/new-years-cookies-and-tips-for-making-black-royal-icing/
  9. ↑ http://www.wilton.com/blog/index.php/how-to-make-black-buttercream-icing/
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