Does anyone have any ideas or what brand of color works best for dark color icing. When I make my icing and taste it, I like the flavour but after I add the food color (I usually use Wilton), I hate the flavor, especially when it's a blue, black and even the no taste red. I just gag but my kids like and say nothing is wrong but I just can't serve people a cake with this icing that I don't like.
Should I try a different icing recipe or have others found the food color changes the taste of the icing.
Thank you in advnce for your advise and help.

For dark colours (red, black, extra green) I use sugar flair. They have no taste at all

Dark colors are a pain, no matter how you look at it. A couple of suggestions, start with a bit less food coloring than you think it needs and let it sit for a while. Often, the color will darken up, so you won't have to use as much, which will help with the flavor. Another trick I use, (but I don't know if it's an option for you) is if I'm covering the whole cake with a dark color, I will actually cover it in white, then airbrush the dark color. You still get the nice dark color, but you don't get the flavor from the color, plus, every body doesn't have blue or black teeth when they eat it. If it's only the trim or writing, etc. that is going to be dark, when it mixes with rest of the icing, you won't get so much of the taste. Hope this helps!

I won't cover whole cakes in dark colors, not for the taste issue, but more so people aren't walking around with colored teeth and tongues.

I agree with the post above, start early, and let the icing sit and deepen, you end up using less coloring that way.

Thank you for your advice, I think it's time to invest in an airbrush machine.

Hey there! I don't know if you have taken the Wilton classes in the past, but this is what I tell my students who are taking my classes. First off, color early and let it sit. JenntheCakeLadie was 100% correct about this... colors will darken a bit the longer they sit. Also, even though you use "No Taste Red", to me, it still has a taste (just not AS much as normal red). My suggestion for dark colors like red, start off with pink, let it sit for a bit, then come and add red. Same thing with blue, start off with a lighter blue and add darker once it has had a chance to sit for a bit. For black and brown, start off by adding cocoa powder. This was the color is brown from the chocolate and not from so much of the coloring. From there add brown to get it your desired color... then black, It does take a bit of time, but it doesn't use as much of the coloring this way. Hope this helps!

I have a suggestion for dark colors that I adapted from my construction days. If I use dark colors, I frost the cake in natural colored buttercream. I use the European styles. I refrigerate to get it firm, then I skim coat the dark color on top of the natural, maybe about 1/8 inch. This solves the issue of all of the added food coloring and the dark teeth and lips of the guests.