How to Color Fondant
Adding color to fondant can be fun and easy or it can be a bit frustrating if you are trying to mix one of the complicated colors such as black, brown, and red. Knowing how to color fondant is fairly simple. It just takes a little patience and some muscle.
Do you see those specks of brown in the fondant? I think that is due to my gloves. This will be my practice fondant since it didn’t mix well and will not be added to any cakes, cookies or cupcakes.
How to Color Fondant
Before we begin with the tutorial, I thought you might like to watch a video.
Now that you have seen the video, we will talk a little bit more about how to color fondant. I picked a hard color to mix in the video to show you can get deep dark colors. You may have to use your muscles a little but it can be done.
Red, brown, and black are colors that need more food gel color than most. If you want a pretty yellow or pink, no problem. If you want black, red or brown you may need to work a little harder and use more food gel paste than you might expect. It may be a little harder to mix but it is well worth the effort. When we start making cute little character you will see how good it is to make your own fondant and color it yourself.
Food gel paste can be bought online, at craft stores and at cake decorating supply stores. It doesn’t cost a lot here in the states but I have heard from readers that it can cost about $5.00 a bottle overseas.
Once you add the food gel paste to the fondant, all you need to do is work it into the fondant until the fondant is a solid color. No more white streaks or little swirls of brown. If you mix a lighter color, you will only need a little food gel to start. You can always add more to achieve the color you are looking for. If your color is too dark, you can work in a few pieces of white fondant to lighten it up.
A good way to tell if your fondant has been mixed well is to cut it in half. If the fondant is the same in the middle and on the sides, then you are done kneading it. If you see streaks or swirls of white, you will need to kneed it a little longer.
Once you are happy with the fondant color, wrap it in plastic wrap to keep the air off of it and prevent it from drying out and getting hard. I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it inside of a Ziploc bag for double protection. It will stay fresh for about 2 weeks but as a general rule, I use mine in a few days to make sure it is fresh.
Coloring fondant isn’t hard. It just takes a little time and a few muscles. If you still aren’t sure you want to color your own, you can always buy premixed at local craft and cake supply stores.
If you have any questions about how to color fondant, leave a comment below or email me at lisa@thebearfootbaker.com. I am always happy to hear your thoughts and questions.
Bear hugs,
Thank you so much, Lisa 🙂
I love this blog… just bumped into it…thanks for all the tips! I am battling to make vivid red fondant and buttercream… mine is always a deep pink, even tho’ I use the vivid red color. Should I be adding another color… brown??? black????? Thanks in advance…
Hi Carolyn,
Red, black, and purple are very challenging colors to work with. I really hate to say it but the best way to get a good red icing color is to use more red food gel. It does take a lot to make it the true red we like. The more color you use the more bitter the royal icing will taste.
Sweet Sugar Belle did a tutorial on how to make red icing and she used Americolor Tulip Red because it didn’t make the icing taste bitter. You can find her post here: http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/07/tulip-red/
Sweetopia also did a post on how to color red icing. You can find her post here: http://sweetopia.net/2014/11/how-to-color-icing-red-decorated-christmas-cookies/
One of my favorite reds gels to use is Wilton No Taste Red because it doesn’t make the icing bitter. I’m all about taste over looks when it comes to food. Just add the color to the RI a little at a time until you get the red your looking for. If you want a deeper red, add a drop of brown food gel paste. One of my favorite ways to make a good deep red is to add a tiny amount of purple. It make a gorgeous deep red color.
Hope this helps!