I haven't made much with fondant, but what little I've made, the colors always fade. I just recently made a red hat cake with a red and purple hat. I made it the day before the cake was made and when I got up, I had orange and blue hats...then the customer said they faded even more....I did a very nice cake for the county fair in which I won first place....the colored fondant was purple to match the cake plate....in a few days it was blue...I can understand that one because of the time it sat and it was hot.....but is there something you can do to preserve the fontant color. I usually use wilton fondant....although, I've used MMF too with the same result.......thanks

wilton suggests that you use pre colored fodant to color your fodant. OR try using Americolor colors they are much better and really dont made nearly as fast if at all. Its best to keep cakes with color out of the light especially fluorescent lighting.

Red fades fastest. And since purple has red in it, it will also fade fast.
The only thing you can do is keep it out of direct sunlight.

Theresa

Americolor is all I use.....maybe its the light....I can try already colored fondant....maybe that will help too.

I have a similar problem with my colors in buttercream frosting. I also use Americolor. It must be the lights, because when I display my cupcakes in a case with flourescent lights, the next day the color is pretty much gone. Does anyone notice a "dye" taste when you use the Americolors. One of my customers said she did, I used the electric colors.

Check the lighting around your cakes...the long uv lights will suck the color out of certain colors..The longer the time they spen under the lights, the more the change in color you will have..
Edna

Thanks,

That had to be it, your right, each day they get lighter and lighter. I'll have to visit these cupcake stores and see how they display their cupcakes.

great...thanks so much for all of your replies. The next time I do fondant, I will keep it out of the light as much as possible....

Oh and just make sure to not decorate in the dark. That could potentially be dangerous for your cake and especially for yourself.

some of my pink stuff that needs to stay out and dry, I put under a 'tent' of foil so that the light couldn't fade it.
it worked pretty well.
good luck!

i use americolor, wilton, bakerycraft. chefmaster.... they all fade from overhead light.. light coming in from windows,etc.. no matter the name brand. my cake at the fair, had purple fondant and gumpaste... was blue when i picked it up.. i used americolor regal purple.. so just keep it out of the lights and the outside light..hth

I invested in some Chefmaster no fade pink, purple, and red.

It may be my imagination, but I do think that they hold color better in direct light.

I do compensate with the pink & red by making things a bit darker than I really want the end result to be. That trick doesn't work well with purple because it just fades to a shade of blue.

Rae

How long have I actually got until they start to fade and change colour?

Add 1 tsp baking soda to a pound of fondant. I definately helps to maintain purple and pink. I have had gumpaste flowers sitting out in the light for months and they are fading very slowly. Barely any colour change.

Can you tell me a brand name for the no-fade colors? This is the first I've heard of them. Thanks.

I add the baking soda to regular paste or gel colours. Not the no fade ones.

Only ChefMaster makes no-fade colors. Americolor pinks & purples fade.

Rae

Crystal Colors powder colors, their purple doesn't fade.