To make royal icing darker, you primarily add food coloring. Gel food coloring is the most effective type for achieving deep, vibrant, or very dark colors in royal icing without adding excess liquid that can affect consistency.
Achieving Deep Colors with Gel Coloring
Adding gel food coloring is the standard method for coloring royal icing. Unlike liquid colors, gel colors are concentrated and won't significantly alter the icing's texture.
Steps to Color Royal Icing Darker:
- Start with White Icing: Begin with your prepared white royal icing.
- Add Gel Color: Use a toothpick or small spoon to add a small amount of gel color to the icing. It's always easier to add more color than to take it away.
- Mix Thoroughly: Stir the color into the icing until it is evenly distributed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure no streaks remain.
- Assess and Add More (If Needed): If the color is not as dark as desired, add another small amount of gel color and mix again. Repeat until you reach a shade slightly lighter than your target color.
Getting True, Dark Black Royal Icing
Making royal icing a true, deep black can be challenging, as it often requires a significant amount of color and benefits from time to develop. According to experienced decorators:
- Color Ratio: For every 3 cups of icing, 1 - 1 ½ teaspoons of black gel color (depending on the brand) is often enough for a true, dark black. The exact amount may vary based on the brand and concentration of your gel color.
- Allow Color to Develop: After stirring in the black gel color, let the color sit for a few hours or overnight.
Why Letting the Color Sit Helps
This resting period is crucial, especially for dark colors like black. Letting the color sit allows the color to be fully emulsified into the icing. As it sits, the pigments deepen and develop, resulting in a significantly darker shade than immediately after mixing. This technique often helps achieve a deep black without needing an excessive amount of color initially.
Tips for Dark Royal Icing
- Use Quality Gel Colors: Reputable brands of gel food coloring offer more concentrated pigments, making it easier to achieve deep colors.
- Consider Base Color: If trying to achieve a very dark color like black or dark navy, some decorators start with a base color (like dark blue or purple for black) before adding the primary dark color.
- Keep Icing Covered: While the color develops, keep the royal icing covered tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent it from crusting.
- Monitor Consistency: Adding a significant amount of gel color can slightly affect consistency. You may need to adjust with a tiny amount of water if it becomes too thick.
Achieving dark colors in royal icing, particularly black, involves using the right amount of concentrated gel color and allowing the icing time for the color to fully develop.
