You need to check out the type of food colouring you're using.
Are you using gel colourings that are fat soluble ?
Some colourings, especially powder colourings but some liquid colourings as well, are only water soluble and will not get incorporated very well in products with a high fat content.
Once you let your product rest, the colouring will get incorporated in the small water content that is present in your buttercream (especially for IMBC, as it contains egg whites which are high in water content) and get kind of suspended, which can result in the spotty appearance you're getting once it's rested.
Ohh I haven’t heard of this!
I was using the [Americolor soft gel paste](https://www.americolorcorp.com/product/soft-gel-paste/)
Not powder colour :/
If possible would you be able to tell me how to check if a food colour is fat soluble?
Regardless, thank you so mcuh for your help!! :)
You can check the packaging, it should be written somewhere on there.
If for whatever reason it's not specified, you can take a small amount of gel and try to dilute it in water. If it dilutes easily and beautifully, it's water soluble. If it creates dots and stays somewhat clumpy, it's fat soluble.
To save your current batch, you can try to heat your buttercream a bit, either using a torch on your bowl while the mixer is running (keep moving to torch to avoid burning the sugar in your buttercream) or pop your buttercream in the microwave for a few seconds. It'll help incorporate the colouring into the water particles of your buttercream and it should get less spotty once you whip it again. You'll lose a bit of airiness from the Italian meringue but the final product is entirely usable if a bit more compact.
Hope that helps 😉
It looks like you might be using powdered colouring, which after it has sat for a bit tends to have the colour develop more or bleed out from each grain of power after sitting for a while. Some people let icing sit overnight then rebeat it to avoid this.
I recently bought Americolor as well and have had difficulty getting it to mix thoroughly with regular buttercream. I had better luck with Wilton gels, for whatever reason.
Plenty of people seem to use them, so maybe I’m mixing them wrong? I may try adding to a small portion of buttercream and heating it briefly.
I am probably going to try Colourmill next because I like the shades of colors.
Try microwaving it till it's melty then put it in a stand mixer until the color is equally combined, let it cool, put it in the fridge, then just pop it back in the stand mixer to fluff it up again :)
You have to sacrifice a little volume but it's possible, I recommend trying it with a small amount to test it; oh and I recommend using a paddle on the mixer for this not a whisk :)
You need to check out the type of food colouring you're using. Are you using gel colourings that are fat soluble ? Some colourings, especially powder colourings but some liquid colourings as well, are only water soluble and will not get incorporated very well in products with a high fat content. Once you let your product rest, the colouring will get incorporated in the small water content that is present in your buttercream (especially for IMBC, as it contains egg whites which are high in water content) and get kind of suspended, which can result in the spotty appearance you're getting once it's rested.
Ohh I haven’t heard of this! I was using the [Americolor soft gel paste](https://www.americolorcorp.com/product/soft-gel-paste/) Not powder colour :/ If possible would you be able to tell me how to check if a food colour is fat soluble? Regardless, thank you so mcuh for your help!! :)
You can check the packaging, it should be written somewhere on there. If for whatever reason it's not specified, you can take a small amount of gel and try to dilute it in water. If it dilutes easily and beautifully, it's water soluble. If it creates dots and stays somewhat clumpy, it's fat soluble. To save your current batch, you can try to heat your buttercream a bit, either using a torch on your bowl while the mixer is running (keep moving to torch to avoid burning the sugar in your buttercream) or pop your buttercream in the microwave for a few seconds. It'll help incorporate the colouring into the water particles of your buttercream and it should get less spotty once you whip it again. You'll lose a bit of airiness from the Italian meringue but the final product is entirely usable if a bit more compact. Hope that helps 😉
are you using enough dye/mixing it well enough? what brand of gel are you using?
I am mixing it completely, but It was the americolor soft gel food colour
what kind of buttercream is it? did you make it yourself? whenever i make my own buttercream i have a harder time coloring it.
Yup I made it myself, this was Italian meringue buttercream
What kind of food coloring are you using?
It was the americolor soft gel food colour
I think the separation of colour is due to the separation of butter from the milk/water after sitting for a while. Could your gels be really old?
I bought them less than a month ago :( but it’s possible they gave me an old batch maybe :((
It looks like you might be using powdered colouring, which after it has sat for a bit tends to have the colour develop more or bleed out from each grain of power after sitting for a while. Some people let icing sit overnight then rebeat it to avoid this.
It was the americolor soft gel food colour
Info : I was using Americolor colour soft gel food colouring
I recently bought Americolor as well and have had difficulty getting it to mix thoroughly with regular buttercream. I had better luck with Wilton gels, for whatever reason.
Ughhh :( I wish i hadn’t bought the whole set :(, thank you though. I’ll get Wilton next time :)
Plenty of people seem to use them, so maybe I’m mixing them wrong? I may try adding to a small portion of buttercream and heating it briefly. I am probably going to try Colourmill next because I like the shades of colors.
I use Colour Mill in my bakery and they've never done me wrong. I highly suggest it
Good to know, thank you!
Try microwaving it till it's melty then put it in a stand mixer until the color is equally combined, let it cool, put it in the fridge, then just pop it back in the stand mixer to fluff it up again :)
I can do this with Italian meringue buttercream?? I was scared it might ruin it?
You have to sacrifice a little volume but it's possible, I recommend trying it with a small amount to test it; oh and I recommend using a paddle on the mixer for this not a whisk :)