How do you make black icing for cakes?

Mixing Food Coloring. Buy red, blue, and green food coloring. You can mix these colors to make a dark grey, which is about as close as you can get without buying black food coloring. If you're making icing or frosting, use gel or paste food coloring. read more

To transform the buttercream into a magical pitch black, you need an “extra black” food color (as opposed to just “black”) and a gel or paste food color (instead of a liquid coloring). Gel/paste food color won’t affect the texture and stability of your buttercream. If you use liquid, your homemade frosting will look like unattractive soup. read more

Black icing often comes out a murky gray, which is unacceptable if you want stunning outlines, embroidery or string work, or a show-stopping multilayer masterpiece. To turn white icing jet black, you have to use a lot of black food dye or gel, and too much can make for bitter, chemical-tasting frosting. read more