I'm sure this has happened to others, but how can you stop it. I have a great example in the belly cake posted on my photo page. Little bits of color seem to just pop up after cake is all done and complete. HELP! Make it stop! Will adding glycerin to my food coloring help any? I'm using wilton pastes by the way.
Thanks

yup! It happens to me too! Definitely curious about the answer

does the problem occur when using buttercream or fondant? I usually have problems with my fondant if the mixture wasn't mixed well, if the glucose and or glycerin wasn't well melted. I also got this specks in my buttercream but wasn't sure why....

Were your wilton colors starting to dry out? I have had this happen when I hadn't used my colors in a while and they were really clumpy. I have since switched to Americolors and they work much better and have the nice fliptop cap so they keep from drying out.

Here's a thought...did you put salt in you buttercream? I've read that you should dilute your salt (and use popcorn salt as it is much finer) in your liquid that you are using for your buttercream whether you use water or milk. Hope this helps!

I have posted many many times about this. were you using an off brand shortening? Wal-mart is notorious for this happening. Are you using pure can sugar? make sure of these things first. Usually the culprit is off-brand shortening.

In your picture it looks like the wilton color began to gel and when it does it flakes.You can try and smooth it back out by adding glycerin to it and stir really well,otherwise buy a new color.Samsgranny is also right in that salt can give you a grainy effect in the icing but from the picture yours looks like old color.

well I just looked at your cake; and I don't see white specs also; so I don't think it is the shortening. maybe your colors are a little dried out. remember to keep lids on them when coloring icing and not to contaminate the color by dipping your toothpick back in the color after it has touched the icing

I've had this happen a few times to me when the icing was in the container, but never ona cake until recently. I'm retaking the wilton courses with a friend and it happened on that blue rainbow cake. My blue had specs. I also had a container of violet practice icing where the colors seperated (you could see blue and reddish colors). I don't think there's anything you can do once it's on the cake, but with my practice icing I remixed it and it stayed fine for three more weeks (in and out of the fridge for the courses). I think the trick is to make sure your color is mixed really well. Last year when I started cake decorating and took the classes i never had this problem and my colors were all new. Well, I have all the same colors and they are thicker and some are clumpy, so it could easily be old color. I'm saving up to make an americolor order LOL.

now if the color is seperating from the icing; then make sure you are using crisco shortening.