How to Make Black Food Coloring

Purchase red, blue, and green food coloring. You can combine these colors to create a dark gray similar to black when you cannot find black food coloring.

• If making frosting or cake icing, use gel or powdered food coloring. Liquid food coloring is less concentrated and can cause the frosting to become runny.

Mix in cocoa powder (for white frosting only). The result is often more visually appealing when using darker ingredients. To turn white frosting black, stir in cocoa powder, adding one tablespoon at a time.

• Dark cocoa powder yields the best results, but regular cocoa powder also works well for this method.
• Skipping this step will require more food coloring, which can affect the flavor and texture of the dish.

Add equal amounts of red, blue, and green food coloring to the mixture. Start with a few drops of each color and stir thoroughly. Repeat until the mixture darkens into a deep gray, ensuring equal amounts of each color are used.

• Yellow can replace green, but lighter colors make it harder to achieve black.

Adjust the color. If you notice streaks of other colors in the gray, make adjustments as follows:

• Add red if you see green streaks.
• Add green if you see purple streaks.
• Use one drop at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Allow the color to develop. Most food coloring intensifies over time in buttercream but fades in royal icing. If making royal icing, add the coloring half an hour before use to minimize fading.

• In some regions, chemicals in water can alter the color. Buttercream tends to show truer colors when made with milk.
• Keep the mixture away from direct sunlight and heat to prevent fading.

Add black cocoa powder to the batter. This special cocoa powder, labeled as "black" or "ultra Dutch processed," is darker and less bitter than regular cocoa. It creates a deep black cake with a chocolate flavor. When substituting for regular cocoa, a few recipe adjustments are needed:

• Add a small amount of fat (butter or oil).
• Use 1 teaspoon of baking powder for every ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.

Incorporate squid ink into savory dishes. Squid ink has a salty flavor and is unsuitable for sweet or dessert recipes. It’s commonly used to color pasta, rice, or sauces. For the most intense color, mix it into homemade pasta dough (replacing salt and some liquid ingredients). A quicker but less uniform method is adding it to the water while boiling pasta or cooking rice. You can also stir it into sauces for a unique hue.

• Fishmongers sometimes sell squid ink, but you may need to ask around.
• Use only a small amount, as squid ink is salty and can taste overly iodized if used excessively.