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.
Food Coloring Swatches
Decorating Fun
FNK
Silo

Food Coloring Swatches Decorating Fun FNK Silo

Photo by: Matt Armendariz ©2012, Television Food Network, G.P.

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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