When you become a fan of baking and cake decorating, there is a good chance that you are going to become acquainted with food colouring. Food colouring is a baker’s best friend. It helps to transform not only the icing that you use but also the cake as a whole.
Whilst you know that food colouring is a great addition to have in your baking cupboard, you might not know more about the different types that you have as well as when is best to use them.
Liquid food colour
One of the most basic and common forms of food colouring, this is what many of us will have in our homes. They are ready to use and come in little squeeze bottles, which means that you can easily drop them into the batter or the icing that you want to colour. These form of food colourings are less intense than others, however, because you can add drop by drop, you can build up the colour as you want. They are also ideal for those who are looking for a subtle touch of colour. You also need to take into account the amount of liquid food colour that you will need to use and whether this will have an impact on your recipe.
Liquid gel food colouring
The next stage up from liquid food colourings are those that come in a gel form. This gel is thick and viscous and offers a much more concentrated approach to colour than a solely liquid food colouring. They allow you to create bolder and brighter shades, whilst adding less liquid to the recipe. This type of food colouring is usually ideal for larger cakes or those that are going to require a bright colour due to their consistency and strength.
Gel-paste food colouring
Another popular option for bakers is gel paste dye. This type of food colouring is much thicker and brighter than liquid and liquid gel and cannot be squeezed from a bottle. Due to the thick nature of the gel, it comes in a pot and you will need to use a toothpick in order to add the colour to your icing or batter, just to make sure that you get the right shade. These pastes are harder to find in stores that are not baking supplies, however, when you do find them they will last for ages.
As you can see, there are a number of different types of food colouring, the one you go for will really depend on what end result you want to achieve in your cake.
