You can find black food coloring in specialty stores, but it's not as common as other types of dye. Make your own dyes at home from other dyes or look for natural ingredients to color frosting/icing (cream coating a cake with sugar as the main ingredient), baked goods, or salty dishes.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Mixing Food Coloring
Step 1. Purchase red, blue, and green food coloring
You can mix these colors to create a dark gray dye, which can be as close as possible without having to buy black food coloring.
If you are making icing/frosting, use a paste or gel food coloring. Liquid food coloring is not too concentrated and can make the icing runny
Step 2. Mix in cocoa powder (only for white frosting)
The end result is always better if you start with a dark colored food recipe. If using white frosting, you can work around this by mixing in only a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- Black cocoa powder gives the best results, but regular cocoa powder is fine for this method.
- If you skip this step, you will need to use more food coloring, which can affect the taste and texture of the food.
Step 3. Add equal amounts of red, blue, and green food coloring to the recipe
Start with a few drops of each color, stirring evenly. Repeat until the mixture is a dark, dark gray color, always adding the same amount of dye.
You can use yellow food coloring instead of green, but lighter colors make it harder for the mixture to turn black
Step 4. Adjust the color
If you see hints of other colors in gray, make these adjustments:
- If it looks green, add red.
- If it looks purple, add green.
- Make all adjustments by adding one drop of dye, and stirring evenly for each additional drop.
Step 5. Wait for the final color
Most food coloring will darken in buttercream and slightly fade in royal icing (other than sugar, made from egg whites) or boiled icing (made by boiling). If you're making the latter type of icing, consider adding coloring half an hour before serving to minimize fading.
- In some places, chemicals in the water can change color. Buttercream usually has a more even color if it is made from milk.
- Keep food coloring away from direct light and heat, which can make the color fade.
Method 2 of 2: Using Natural Ingredients
Step 1. Mix the black cocoa powder into the cake batter
This particular type of cocoa powder, which is labeled “black” or “ultra Dutch processed”, has a darker color and lighter taste than regular cocoa powder. This cocoa powder gives the cake a dark black color with a chocolate taste. If you want to substitute regular cocoa powder, make the following changes to the recipe:
- Add a little fat (butter or oil).
- Use 1 teaspoon of baking powder (contains sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, and drying agent, namely starch) instead of teaspoon of baking soda (contains only sodium bicarbonate).
Step 2. Add squid ink for salty food
Squid ink has a salty taste and is not suitable for sweets or desserts. Squid ink is most often used to color pasta, rice, or salty sauces. For the most intense color, mix the squid ink into your homemade pasta mixture (replacing salt and a few liquid ingredients). For a faster method but with a less intense color, add ink to the water while the pasta or rice is boiling. Also stir the ink into the sauce for a more dramatic appearance.
- Fishmongers will sometimes sell squid ink, but you may need to check with several vendors.
- Add a small amount of squid ink. This ink tastes quite salty and has a large amount of iodine in it.
Tips
- Specialty pastry shops may sell black food coloring.
- Black walnut shells can be boiled for a black or dark brown color to decorate egg shells. Consuming these dyes can be dangerous, so do not use them as food coloring. This dye water will stain your skin, clothes, and everything it comes in contact with.
