Cake Decorating

[Mottmott]

Could someone clarify for me the question of the coloring agents used in the gels for tinting frosting? I do recall seeing discussions about the non-desirability of some coloring agents but didn’t pay too much attention as I don’t use much processed foods and my own baking doesn’t often call for coloring the frosting. My grandson is now in kindergarten and from time to time there will be cupcakes to decorate. My DIL is super concerned with the quality of the food she gives her kids, buying organic only.

Are there any coloring agents out there that will satisfy her? I checked at Fante’s and the color gels they carry have FD&C Color or US Certified Color. Which tells me nothing. Perhaps someone here can clarify this issue and even suggest where DIL can find child-friendly colors.

[K8memphis]

Lots and lots of stuff has food coloring in it & on it, butter, fruit, toothpaste etc. If someone was into all organic, then they would either not use any food color at all or make some out of beets or cranberries or onion skins or blueberries & stuff like that. It probably would not taste very good. Food color as far as I know is not child or big people friendly. It's a strange strange product all the way around, y'know?

I mean 'organic food color' literally would be red apples and orange carrots. If she is very careful about quality then she would not be using food color at all. It's not a 'safe' product per se much less a quality product. It's an allowed product. That 'they' are watching and changing all the time.

Like using different shades of (brown) chocolate would be an idea. Making coulis and decorating plates & food & stuff with squirt bottles to help liven things up color wise might be an idea. Umm, candied citrus peel, hey, you can make your own fruit roll ups and use that for decor. Cut out different shapes & stuff. Also become adept at making cool garnishes would be a great idea. Sharpen up your knife skills (pun intended:) and make pretty that way. Stuff like that.

You can make some great shapes out of bread dough--did you see that post here in this forum???? and umm, pate choux...stuff like that...but not food coloring.

[Mottmott]

Lots and lots of stuff has food coloring in it & on it, butter, fruit, toothpaste etc. If someone was into all organic, then they would either not use any food color at all or make some out of beets or cranberries or onion skins or blueberries & stuff like that. It probably would not taste very good. Food color as far as I know is not child or big people friendly. It's a strange strange product all the way around, y'know?

I mean 'organic food color' literally would be red apples and orange carrots. If she is very careful about quality then she would not be using food color at all. It's not a 'safe' product per se much less a quality product. It's an allowed product. That 'they' are watching and changing all the time.

Like using different shades of (brown) chocolate would be an idea. Making coulis and decorating plates & food & stuff with squirt bottles to help liven things up color wise might be an idea. Umm, candied citrus peel, hey, you can make your own fruit roll ups and use that for decor. Cut out different shapes & stuff. Also become adept at making cool garnishes would be a great idea. Sharpen up your knife skills (pun intended:) and make pretty that way. Stuff like that.

You can make some great shapes out of bread dough--did you see that post here in this forum???? and umm, pate choux...stuff like that...but not food coloring.

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[Mottmott]

Lots and lots of stuff has food coloring in it & on it, butter, fruit, toothpaste etc. If someone was into all organic, then they would either not use any food color at all or make some out of beets or cranberries or onion skins or blueberries & stuff like that. It probably would not taste very good. Food color as far as I know is not child or big people friendly. It's a strange strange product all the way around, y'know?

I mean 'organic food color' literally would be red apples and orange carrots. If she is very careful about quality then she would not be using food color at all. It's not a 'safe' product per se much less a quality product. It's an allowed product. That 'they' are watching and changing all the time.

Like using different shades of (brown) chocolate would be an idea. Making coulis and decorating plates & food & stuff with squirt bottles to help liven things up color wise might be an idea. Umm, candied citrus peel, hey, you can make your own fruit roll ups and use that for decor. Cut out different shapes & stuff. Also become adept at making cool garnishes would be a great idea. Sharpen up your knife skills (pun intended:) and make pretty that way. Stuff like that.

You can make some great shapes out of bread dough--did you see that post here in this forum???? and umm, pate choux...stuff like that...but not food coloring.

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Thanks for the reply. It pretty much confirms what I suspected. In her cooking she does use organic foods and Tom's toothpaste, etc. I think her quandry is what to use to decorate the obligatory birthday cupcakes for school that's the tradition where my gs goes to school.

While I share her general suspicion of industrial dyes in our foodstuffs and her desire to use organic products, I confess that I compromise when it becomes too inconvenient to follow the regimen. I keep a fast line on meat and dairy, aspire to local and/or organic fruit and veggies, limit use of processed foods, but if I had to decorate a cake in colors I'd just it! And I confess, I just can't bring myself to use those ugly unsuphered dried apricots.

[jgarner53]

Leave it to the internet. A quick google search netted me these, but they ARE pricey. If you have a natural foods coop near you, you might look there. I know I have seen naturally colored decorating sugars (that coarse sugar)

[JeanneCake]

There are recipes in the Cake Bible for strawberry and raspberry puree - which can be made from organic fruit - and if you use a little bit of puree to color the frosting, it would be a pale pink color. Your grandson might not be fond of pink cupcakes for his birthday - but on the fruit puree theory - add some organic baby food fruits (blueberry, plum, etc which are naturally low in sugar so it won't mess up the flavor of the buttercream, but they may make the buttercream softer than usual) and see what happens color-wise.

[freddurf]

I used to use as much organic and natural food products I could for DD. When I first started making cakes, I didn't like the idea of all the artifical coloring, but I figured If I was cautious about everything else, I didn't have to worry about a few cupcakes here and there.

[Mottmott]

Thanks. I've forwarded on the web address and suggested a local natural food store. I wouldn't even begin to suggest making natural colors from beets or blueberries to someone for whom cooking is a martyrdom suffered only for the need to feed her family.

Mostly I suggested that the once a year my DIL sends in cupcakes without objectionable food colorants would be spitting in the wind. After all. How many of the other 15-20 mothers are going to be using natural food colors?

[alanamoana]

whole foods should have something organic/natural. i seem to remember someone i know buying food coloring there specifically for a vegan cake. they were paste.

[chezcherie]

Leave it to the internet. A quick google search netted me these, but they ARE pricey. If you have a natural foods coop near you, you might look there. I know I have seen naturally colored decorating sugars (that coarse sugar)

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i think i may have seen these, or something similar at whole foods. and while $16 seems steep for food coloring, wouldn't it last just about forever? the kid will have bdays for years to come...and maybe siblings with similar restrictions. seems like a good investment for a grandpa to make!

[K8memphis]

Oops, that's like the time that I was gonna make my meatless split pea soup that I hadn't make in like 30 years and I went to get some miso and there were so many varieties, I didn't know what to buy.

So I think I was 'absent that day' (the dog ate my homework etc.) when they covered vegan food color. However what I wrote about the 'other' food colorings is accurate. It's way weird stuff.

And methinks that using the vegan stuff in moderation would be a good idea. Concentrated spinach suspended in cornsyrup might not be especially tasty to color/flavor like a nice deep grass green icing--stuff like that. But I could be wrong it's happened before.

And umm, the whole corn syrup thing is not organic. Surely there's not much in there but shoot if she's gonna dip her organic sails for corn syrup why not just use some real food color.

You can make some real cute cupcakes with nuts & stuff too.

[ludja]

You said she isn't really a big baker, but another option would be to use edible flowers. Brush them with eggwhite and dip in sugar...

Maybe the kids would have a blast eating flowers...

Edited October 28, 2005 by ludja (log)

[Mottmott]

You said she isn't really a big baker, but another option would be to use edible flowers.  Brush them with eggwhite and dip in sugar...

Maybe the kids would have a blast eating flowers...

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Not a big baker? Can you say MIX?

I'm really enjoying all your answers. All the more for picturing my DIL mixing her own colors for cake decorating.

Alana & Cherie, I took your suggestion and checked at WF when there today. ZIP at the one I go to.

K8 & Ludja & Jeanne, I'm in awe of your inventiveness. When I do decorate, I go with fruits, nuts, chocolate, flowers, etc. I find them more attractive than colors anyway - and tasty, too.

As for my DIL, while we all enjoy the food arts, it's just a chore for her to get through. Her considerable talents live elsewhere. She's decided to use the stuff that's easy to find. I will, however, suggest to her the alternative to decorate with royal icing and fruits, nuts, candies. I'm sure the kids would love candies atop their cupcakes.