How to color fondant is a question that worries many beginner pastry chefs. You can color fondant with almost any existing food color. Easter egg dyes are not suitable for coloring it - they often contain salt. How to choose colors, which manufacturers are better, methods of coloring fondant, little life hacks - you will learn all this from our article.

Types and applications of food colors

  • Dry food colors for fondant (petal dusts/powders) can be the simplest ones. Just be prepared that budget options will color it exclusively in pastel shades. Achieving bright colors with them is practically impossible. You can find sugar in the composition of such colors. This means that in the bag we see sugar granules surrounded by pigment particles. The concentration of coloring substances in them is minimal, so saturated shades in the palette are unavailable. In the category of budget brands, the domestic Ukrasa color has proven itself well. Petal dusts and candurins (luster dusts) are also classified as dry colors. They are intended for coloring the surfaces of already finished products. Petal dust is indispensable in sugar floristry. With its help, delicate petals are given natural shades inherent in live plants. We recommend paying attention to the dust from the British brand Sugarflair. Candurins are used to impart a metallic or pearlescent shine to individual elements of finished figures. Candurin looks most advantageous on a dark base.
  • Liquid food colors for cakes. This type of food color is completely ready for use. It can be mixed into the fondant mass or used to paint the surface of a finished product. Since moisture negatively affects the consistency of fondant, it is necessary to use colors with minimal liquid content - concentrates. These include paste and gel colors for fondant. In this category, the leading position is held by Americolor. Among the budget options, the Top Product brand is the most popular.
  • Airbrush colors and surface paints. Designed for coloring finished products at the final stage. An excellent option here is the Ukrainian brand Criamo, which combines democratic prices and excellent quality.

    Food coloring for cakes: how to use

    With the help of dry colors and concentrates, you can color not only fondant. Dough, creams, mousses, jelly, drinks, ice cream - almost everything except chocolate. Any cake can be made bright, colorful, and memorable. But today we will talk specifically about fondant decorations.

    How to color rolled fondant with dry color?

    You need to take about 5 grams of powder and dilute it with 2-3 drops of water or lemon juice. Add the resulting paint to white fondant and knead thoroughly until the color becomes uniform. It is recommended to add the color gradually to guarantee the desired shade. Knead the fondant on a surface dusted with powdered sugar or cornstarch.

    Take gel and paste colors for fondant on the tip of a toothpick - the pigment is contained in them in high concentration. Slightly knead the fondant on a dusted surface so that it becomes soft. Introduce a little color with a toothpick and mix. If necessary, repeat until you achieve the desired shade.

    Important: colors from different manufacturers have different shade saturations. Also, the intensity of coloring may differ within the line of one brand. Therefore, introduce the color carefully, starting with a small amount. Also pay attention to the texture. Paste colors are denser and thicker than gel ones. But even among gel colors, there is no single density standard for all manufacturers. Therefore, some may turn out to be more liquid than others.

    How to make natural food coloring

    Fondant can also be colored using fruits, vegetables, or spices. There is one nuance - fondant does not like moisture, so you cannot get away with simple juice here. It is recommended to boil a syrup based on the juice. The problem is that boiling a syrup from spinach or a turmeric solution is not the best idea. Berries are most suitable for these purposes. Natural colors have their own taste, and this is another argument in favor of berries. As a result, the fondant acquires pleasant shades closer to pastel. It is also difficult to achieve flashy colors with their help.

    Painting the surface of finished products

    Covering a cake with white fondant and painting it on top is a very economical option. First, no colored pieces of fondant are left to be thrown away. Second, less color is consumed. Wait until the fondant details dry a bit - this way they will not absorb the color. Add a couple of drops of vodka to dry colors and concentrates. The colors will lay down nicely and shine, and the alcohol itself will evaporate from the fondant very quickly.

    Special surface paints do not need to be diluted with anything. Also, they do not need additional treatment with candurin. Many of them already contain it in their composition. Food paint for cakes is applied to fondant with a brush or sponge. It is best to use a thin sponge with a fine-pored structure to avoid wasting color.

    Coloring with an airbrush looks the most impressive. An airbrush consumes very little color, plus it is much faster than painting by hand. To keep the equipment from spoiling, use special airbrush colors. They will also help avoid the presence of a large number of paint particles in the air. Where to apply: for coloring buttercream and fondant cakes in one tone, or for artistic painting. With an airbrush, you can draw thin and wide lines, beautiful color transitions - ombre, and even entire pictures.

    Where to buy

    If you need it quickly and urgently - in the nearest supermarket you will surely find the simplest dry colors. Just make sure that there is no salt in their composition. Professional options are better ordered in an online store. This way you will save time and get a huge selection. And our store also guarantees prompt delivery! Do not forget that color rendering is different on all monitors, and the color of the dye may differ slightly from the photo. Good luck with your experiments!