Color Your Cupcakes: A Food Coloring Guide
Creating colors is part art and part science, so get ready to play. While dabbling, we discovered that frostings and food colorings vary a lot; we prefer the intensity of gel to liquid. As you mix up a batch, find your favorites among ours, then debut your own hues along the way.

Matt Armendariz, 2012, Television Food Network, G.P.
Food Coloring Swatches
Decorating Fun
FNK
Silo
Classic Blue:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/2 teaspoon royal blue gel
Blue Raspberry:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 5 drops violet gel
- 1 toothpick tip leaf green gel
Robin's Egg:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 5 drops violet gel
- 1 toothpick tip leaf green gel
Fresh Water:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/8 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 1 toothpick tip leaf green gel
Avocado:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 toothpick tip Christmas red gel
- 1 drop royal blue gel
Apple Green:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 drop green leaf gel
Herbaceous Green:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/8 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 1/8 teaspoon leaf green gel
Classic Green:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 3/4 teaspoon leaf green gel
Classic Yellow:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
Egg Yolk:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 toothpick tip Christmas red gel
Kiwi:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 drop royal blue gel
Pear:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 toothpick tip royal blue gel
Classic Violet:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/2 teaspoon violet gel
Blueberry:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 8 drops violet gel
Grape:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon violet gel
- 1/8 teaspoon Christmas red gel
Plum Purple:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/2 teaspoon royal blue gel
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 5 drops Christmas red gel
Raspberry Jam:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 3/4 teaspoon Christmas red gel
- 1/8 teaspoon violet gel
Guava:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/8 teaspoon plus 5 drops Christmas red gel
- 4 drops lemon yellow gel
Pink Grapefruit:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 2 drops Christmas red gel
- 1 drop lemon yellow gel
Classic Red:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Christmas red gel
Pale Apricot:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1 tiny toothpick tip lemon yellow gel
- 1 tiny toothpick tip Christmas red gel
- 1 even more tiny toothpick tip royal blue gel
- (the tiniest amounts are needed for this)
Tangerine:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1 small drop Christmas red gel
Orange Soda:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1/8 teaspoon Christmas red gel
Squash:
- 1 cup white frosting
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon yellow gel
- 1/8 teaspoon Christmas red gel
- 3 drops royal blue gel
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