How to Tint Butter Cream Frosting

Use your imagination when creating dyes

Butter cream frosting can be tinted using a variety of dye types including powdered, liquid and paste concentrated dyes, or by mixing and adding your own natural homemade recipe. Concentrated food dyes are bolder in shade and less altering in consistency than homemade pigments. Adding dyes must be done slowly in small increment amounts to avoid accidentally over-dying. With basic pigments, dyes can be mixed to create virtually any color in any hue that you can imagine.

Things You'll Need

• Food dye (powdered, liquid, or paste)
• Natural food coloring (food item)
• Butter cream frosting
• Bowl(s)
• Spoon or spatula

Instructions

Liquid, Powder, or Paste Dye

1. Transfer the natural colored butter cream to a bowl that will not pick up the colored dye (avoid rough plastic bowls). If you are making multiple colors, separate the frosting into the appropriate number of bowls.

2. Add 2 to 3 drops of liquid food coloring or ¼ tsp. of powder or paste food dye. Stir until the dye is evenly incorporated.

3. Adjust the color to your liking. Depending on the shade you are intending to reach, whether a lighter or a deeper pastel, add 1 drop or 1/8 tsp. of dye at a time. Do not add too much. You always can add more dye, but it is impossible to lighten except by adding more natural colored cream.

Natural Dyes

1. Extract or mix your own natural food dye. You can make natural food dyes out of a variety of food items, including beets, saffron, turmeric, raspberries, avocados, blueberries, blackberries, caramel, black currants and tea leaves. To extract the pigments of fruits, run through a blender or food processor and strain the juice out. The juice will be used as dye. For avocados, add water and blend but do not strain. Avocado is high in fat and will not disrupt the butter consistency in the frosting. Steep the tea leaves in shallow water for a high concentration; melt the caramel until pliable; and keep the saffron and turmeric as powder.

2. Add the liquid dyes 1 tsp. at a time. Depending on the food item you use, the potency will vary, so experiment until you get the desirable shade. Add avocado 1 tbsp. at a time and powders at 1 tsp. Remember that self-extracted food dyes will add flavor so make sure you are willing to alter the flavor of the frosting before adding large amounts.

3. Thicken the frosting by adding extra powdered sugar. Adding less concentrated color liquids to frosting will require using more in volume and therefore increase the viscosity (liquid flow rate) of the cream. If this should occur, add more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time and beat in thoroughly.

References

• Love to Know: Natural Food Coloring