How to Color Buttercream Fondant

Apply colored fondant to a cake to achieve a uniform, vibrant decoration.

Covering a cake in a single sheet of fondant eases the laborious task of decorating a cake evenly. As enticing as the notion is, figuring out how to add color to white, clay-like fondant may make you feel like using the medium is not the easy time-saver it appears to be. However, adding color to fondant is just as basic as adding color to frosting. Achieving an even, uniform cake surface is well within your grasp.

Things You'll Need

• Wax paper
• Food-safe gloves
• Fondant
• Toothpick
• Gel coloring

Instructions

1. Tear a sheet of wax paper to cover your work surface. Put food-safe gloves on. Gel coloring is nontoxic, but it can stain surfaces with which it comes in direct contact.

2. Place a portion of fondant on the wax paper. Knead the fondant -- like you would knead bread dough -- until it is pliable and uniform in texture.

3. Dip a toothpick in a jar of gel coloring. Coat the bottom 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the toothpick in gel. Wipe the tip of the toothpick across the surface of the fondant to transfer the coloring. Dip and wipe the toothpick one to four more times, depending on how much fondant you are coloring and how intense you want the color to be.

4. Fold the lump of fondant in half to sandwich the gel in the middle. Knead the fondant to distribute the color. The color should appear marbled at first. Continue kneading the fondant until the color is uniform.

5. Add more gel to the fondant if you want to intensify the color. Add a small portion of uncolored fondant to the tinted mass if you added too much color and want to lighten its hue.

6. Roll or shape the fondant according to your recipe once you achieve the desired color.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash coloring gel off your skin and work surface with warm water and soap.

• If you are unsure of how much coloring gel you need to add to the fondant to achieve your desired shade, start by adding a minimal amount of coloring gel to the fondant. Knead the fondant thoroughly to distribute the color. Add a minimal amount each time you intensify the color. This incremental method does require more time, but it ensures that you get the color you want.