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
Next Up
How to Proof Yeast
A guide to when you need to test yeast and how to do it.
This Shapeshifting Cake Batter Is the Ultimate Party Trick
With this genius base recipe, if you can make one cake flavor, you can make six — and just by adding, never subtracting or swapping.
How to Freeze Cake
A complete guide on freezing layer cakes, bundt cakes, wedding cakes and more.
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Making a Bundt Cake
Including how to make sure it releases in one beautiful piece.
A Primer on Every Single Type of Yeast for Baking
And how to substitute for yeast.
10 Ways to Crimp Pie Crust
A step-by-step guide to rolling out, shaping and crimping pie dough.
What Is Xanthan Gum?
You’ve seen it in gluten-free baking recipes, and maybe the back of an ice cream carton.
Why Did My Cake Sink In the Middle? (And How to Fix It)
You might be making one of these seven common mistakes.
What Is White Chocolate?
Plus, how to melt it and bake with it.
Am I Supposed to Use Salted or Unsalted Butter in Baking?
Plus what to do when you’re in a pinch and don’t have the right kind.
