How to Make Red Icing / Red Buttercream for Cake Decorating: Tutorial from Jenn Johns

Whether you call it frosting, icing or just buttercream, what is the trick to making RED BUTTERCREAM? In this episode of Buttercream Basics, Jenn Johns will show you how to make red icing with an easy tutorial.  

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The trick to making red buttercream isn’t that much different than it is making black. Spoiler alert.

By starting off with a base that is darker in color than white (preeeeeeety much any color will do) you will not need to add as much red gel paste or food coloring as you would starting at white. Yes, adding pink in counts as coloring addition, but the point is to decrease the amount of coloring required to get a bright, vibrant red.

I have been using Americolor gel paste for years. I started out with Wilton products, due to availability, but those darned pots had me looking for an alternative. I found it really frustrating to have to dig color out…I had to rummage around for something small enough to dig with, but big enough to scoop enough color out for my project.  What I like the best about Americolor, besides the squeeze bottles, is the smaller amount of coloring needed- in my non-scientific study (aka me baking for years) I feel that I need to use less Americolor than I do Wilton to achieve the same shade of color. OTHER than red or black though, I find the other colors to be more similar in quantities required.

I haven’t tried many other brands beyond the two mentioned above. When I was very, very, very first starting out, I used Colormaster, but I had no idea what I was doing back then, and can’t recall whether I liked it or not. I’m going with that I didn’t since it’s been 6 years since I saw that bottle.

Which brand do prefer most?