how to get black buttercream (with minimal food colouring)

With Halloween just around the corner, we've been getting a few questions about black buttercream from our cake classes.

- How can I make black buttercream that won't stain my teeth?
- Which brand of food colouring would you recommend?
- Why does my black buttercream look grey?
- What does black buttercream taste like?
- Will my poopie turn black? 😂

Fret not! We're here to help! And the following methods can be used for any types of buttercream ​

TIP #1 - Add Black Cocoa

We use the Barry Callebaut Black Cocoa that you can get from the cake shops. We don't have actual measurements of how much we add, it's to feeling lol But one thing to remember is DON'T JUST PUT THE POWDER INTO YOUR BUTTERCREAM.  I said it in bold and caps, because I've done this before, and it just left me with granular black buttercream with undissolved powder. So what I would suggest is to melt some buttercream (about half a cup), add the powder, make a paste, add some icing sugar or ganache (if you don't like your buttercream too bitter), and then mix this concoction into your batch of buttercream and whisk on high.

TIP #2 - ADD BLACK FOOD COLOURING (GEL)

We use the Vivid range Black colouring and it works a treat. After adding the black cocoa, you'll only need a little bit of food colour. If you find yourself squeezing lots of gel colour, STOP NOW! And read the next tip!

tip #3 - Microwave 1/4 of your batch

By now your buttercream must be looking greyish, almost black, but not quite, and it's missing that shine! It means it's time to microwave it. Don't microwave the whole lot though, or you'll have to wait ages before you can frost your cake. Just take 1/4 of your batch, microwave it for 15-20 seconds bursts, you'll notice it will become instantly glossy black. Add it to the rest of your buttercream, mix with your beater. Repeat this step, 1/4 microwave, add to 3/4 main batch, mix, until you reach the perfect black, soft and glossy buttercream. Et voilà!!!

TIP #4 - MAKE IT DAYS IN ADVANCE

Yes! That's right make it a few days before you actually need it, it's called the blooming method, where your buttercream colour actually deepens over time. Store in the fridge, and on the day you want to decorate your cake, leave it out on the counter for at least 1 hour. Use the microwave tip above if you want to quicken the process.

TIP #5 - JUST BUY READY-MADE ONES

Sometimes you cbf right? Especially if you only need a teeny bit of black piping/palette/smudge on your cake. For our cake classes, we use the Over The Top black buttercream! It's a little more costly to use than making our own, but it saves us a lot of time.

WARNING: Using store-bought one however will stain your teeth and your tongue black 😅

Want to actually see how we do it? Join us on a cake class in Lynbrook, make it yourself and ask us any other questions you may have. Did you ever try making black buttercream? We'd love to know how it went! Tag @thewhisktakers on Instagram so we can see your creations!