Frosting Changed Colors

Decorating By Saphiel Updated 12 Nov 2009 , 2:11am by KathysCC

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Saphiel Posted 26 Sep 2009 , 1:48pm
post #1 of 7

Just wondering if anyone has ever had this happen? I frosted 2 cakes in VERY bright colors, came back a few hours later and they were no longer bright, not even close. One was very bright pink and when I came back it was very light pink. My other one was bright purple and when I cam back it was half blue, and half lighter purple. What happened? I did nothing different, this has never happened!

6 replies
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itscake Posted 26 Sep 2009 , 2:02pm
post #2 of 7

Hate when that happens...from my experiences....I have learned to let the colours bloom for a few hours before I ice the cake...they change as they sit...overnight is even better...maybe you can paint over the exisiting color...

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indydebi Posted 26 Sep 2009 , 3:12pm
post #3 of 7

I knew just be reading the subject line that it involved red fading.

Here's your history lesson that I've shared a number of times (since most of you aren't as old as I am and were around back then! icon_lol.gif ).

In the late 70's, Red Dye #2 was removed from the market. Inconclusive testing determined that if you ate something like 500 lbs of it a day, you MIGHT get cancer, so they pulled it. There was no substitute that was as stable. Bright lights, sunlight will cause the reds of today to fade.

Purple = blue + red. Red fades, leaving only the blue.
Orange = Red + yellow. Red fades, leaving only the yellow.
Red fades to pink .... pink fades to light pink or even white.

Many CC'ers have said using milk instead of water in your icing helps stablize the color. Brands of color makes a difference. I use Cake Craft brand colors and rarely, if ever, have a fading issue.

BUt what you experienced is actually pretty normal.

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Doug Posted 26 Sep 2009 , 3:18pm
post #4 of 7

and adding to IndyDebi's history lesson: physics/chemistry/lighting lesson --

specifically it is the UV in light that causes the fading (yep UV is a bleach! -- one reason why whites hung outside in sun look so much white and brighter -- and why it can be used to disinfect things and why it can disrupt cell structure to cause cancer!)

UV sources: sunlight -- so keep away from windows -- doesn't even have to be direct light!

florescent lights (at their heart they are a very powerful UV source -- think tanning beds!) -- so keep those off too! (tho' that could be difficult -- hard to see in the dark.

best protection -- ice it -- box it immediately so the light can't get to it.

(some one needs to invent cake sun screen!)

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letsgetcaking Posted 29 Sep 2009 , 3:19am
post #5 of 7

This is great info, Indydebi and Doug. Thanks for sharing with everyone, and Doug? You always crack me up!

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GenGen Posted 29 Sep 2009 , 3:29am
post #6 of 7

I've never had red fade but i have had the wilton shade of Pink fade.. its annoying as hell. the other shade i had fade was the shade of PUrple but that had been after several days (something on a fair exhibit i had)

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KathysCC Posted 12 Nov 2009 , 2:11am
post #7 of 7

I've only had fading problems with Wilton Pink. I use Wilton Rose for all my pink icings now and never have any problems.

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