It appears that I only post when I have a dumb question, but I don't know enough to respond to everyone elses questions
ANyway, I always use buttercream icing, and when I was making my son's firetruck I couldn't get the icing red! I mean, I used almost a whole jar of the red icing stuff and I even added a little burgandy and black to try and help it and all I got was dark pink .... Please help me for future references!!!

Using Americolor brand colors will get a much better red, and you don't have to use the whole bottle. You can get them from Sugarcraft and several other places.

I did a winnie pooh cake few weeks ago and his shirt is bright red... I used the winnie pooh color kit from wilton and the red jar that can in it seemed to give me a brighter red than I have ever used before... Like Fire-engine red... Just a tidbit

Here is another vote for Americolor Reds...I ordered every color they carry, right here on this website. You can't beat 'em!

There aren't any dumb questions!! Please feel free to ask away, that is how we learn. I feel your pain, I have struggled with red and black. The best advice I can give you is to buy some americolor. I recently got mine off this site and the super red was EXCELLENT!!! It does help to let it sit some but for the most part I think americolor is just a lot better dye than the rest and you use a lot less. My Valentine's day cupcake cake red border was the best red I have ever gotten and tasted just the same as me white for the first time EVER!!!

Hope that helps!

thanks - wow fast response time - I love that!!!!
smileyface - I have an awful time w/ black also it's always grey... I think I need to buy some of the Americolor and have it on hand for next time. W/ 2 kids I'm always baking of some sort (just most my cake pics are on film rather than digital) but the PINK firetruck is in my photo gallery thing..
THANKS

Your welcome, happy to help out when I can. Your firetruck's really cute. It doesn't look pink to me but I know how you feel when you can not get the deep red you want. I forgot to mention for black, if you don't mind chocolate try using cocoa. If you have or can get Hershey's special dark dutch cocoa, it will make an almost black icing without any color added at all. I just love this stuff. It is almost black in color so I am guessing any dark cocoa will work but the only one I have found is Hershey's.

THANKS I'll have to remember that also!
The picture made the truck look redder than it really was, I guess I didn't have the proper lighting!

Your truck looks really good!! I just did an Elmo cake and used 2 jars of the Wilton (no taste) red to make it happen. It helps if you start out with a pink, then it's easier to get that red to really stick. Also, I got a really good black by taking the red and adding black to it. The cocoa idea works best though.

You did a great job!
Angie