Finally color! I love color! With all of the products and techniques available to color cake related items, I wanted to run through the gamut and see which ones work best with modeling chocolate (MC) and its unique set of properties. Certain methods work well for a specific type of decorating and not for others; some colorants confer altered textures or consistencies. Here I will share with you my insights for picking the right coloring method for your project.
I wanted to try a wide variety of products for coloring to get a feel for many of the possibilities available so I used everything from grocery store liquid food color to petal and luster dust. Some of the options may seem redundant but I wanted to try some of the colorants in a variety of ways to see if there was an advantage or disadvantage to doing it a certain way. I am going to list them all so that you have a complete picture and understanding of the choices.
For all of the examples I started with white modeling chocolate to have a true sense of each colorants ability to color but starting with a MC made from a basic colored coating or candy melt can be a great option as well.
I divided the coloring into three categories.
- Pre-coloring: mixing before the modeling chocolate is made by adding color to either the melted chocolate or the corn syrup.
- Mid-coloring: mixing color throughout the made modeling chocolate.
- Post-coloring: Applying color to the surface of the modeling chocolate.
Let’s start with Pre-coloring techniques!
Pre-coloring is probably the easiest way to color modeling chocolate. The color easily swirls into your liquid of choice and then all you have to do is mix up your modeling chocolate as usual. The downside is that you end up with one full batch of a certain color and sometimes it is difficult to determine what color your final product will be until it is made in full. For this reason, I recommend pre-coloring when you are going to use a large quantitiy of one color of modeling chocolate and if you have an idea of the intensity your food color will impart. The following is a list of ways to pre-color MC.
1. Liquid or gel into corn syrup. In this first method gel or even inexpensive liquid food coloring is added to your measurement of corn syrup or liquid glucose, mixed up and the stirred into melted chocolate or candy melts. Here I added 2 drops of liquid food coloring (which spread across the surface of the corn syrup). I did not notice any change in the texture of the modeling chocolate.
2. Candy coloring into candy melts or chocolate. Oil based candy food coloring is stirred into the melted chocolate or candy melts and then blended with the corn syrup. This created a lovely silky final product but since I added so much coloring (oops, slip of the hand!) it was a little softer than that made with other colorings. I recommend making a firmer than usual MC if you plan to use candy coloring.
3.Gel coloring into candy melts or chocolate. Gel coloring is dropped into melted candy melts or chocolate and stirred before corn syrup is blended in. I don’t recommend this method. The melts seize before the corn syrup is stirred in. You can still make a modeling chocolate via this method but the MC is disjointed, losing all of its stretch (you can see the crackles in the MC if you look closely). It also cools very firm and is crumbly when returned to. If for some reason you feel the need to do this, add extra corn syrup to keep in smooth and together.
4. Powdered food coloring into melted candy melts. A small scoop of powdered food coloring was added to melted melts and stirred in before mixing with the corn syrup. Using this method the powder did not dissolve completely leaving speckles in the final product even after it was kneaded. Perhaps if you are making robin’s eggs this would be desirable but for uniform color another method is advisable. If you choose to use powdered colors I suggest dissolving it in vodka or lemon extract and then adding it to the corn syrup if you wish to color in the pre-mixed phase.
Next we will move on to the Mid-coloring methods. These methods are the most practical and applicable for every day needs. They allow you to color from a small amount to a large amount of modeling chocolate and enable you to adjust the colors easily as you go. They also provide uniform coloring for nice solid color applications.
5. Candy color into MC. Candy food coloring is blended into the mixed modeling chocolate. The candy colors give nice smooth saturated colors but they do soften the modeling chocolate a bit so it is best to start with a firm MC recipe if using the candy colors.
6. Gel color into MC. Gel color blends into the MC nicely and in moderate amounts does not affect the texture of the modeling chocolate greatly. This is probably the best general method for coloring modeling chocolate.
7. Gel color plus cornstarch into MC. If you need to achieve a very saturated color that requires the addition of quite a lot of gel color, the addition of cornstarch can help maintain the texture of the modeling chocolate by absorbing some of the moisture from the food color. The addition of cornstarch does dry the MC some and it may require an extra bit of working or a touch of shortening after storage.
8. Liquid color into MC. Basic grocery store liquid food coloring is kneaded into modeling chocolate. This is probably the method that surprised me the most. I expected the liquid to cause the MC to break, but it didn’t. It actually worked very well and generated a nice bold color. This is a great option if this is the type of food coloring you have on hand or need to buy some in the wee hours of the morning at your local market. If you are going to add large amounts you may need to add some cornstarch to counter act the softening effects of the liquid.
9. Petal dust into MC. For this I scooped a small amount of petal dust onto the MC and kneaded it in. It didn’t work as well as some of the other methods as far as blending and saturation is concerned but I feel like this is a good option if you are coloring a base that is later going to be dusted with the same color petal dust. Such as for flower petals or other items to be shaded in gradient.
10. Coloring with colored MC. Use already made solid colors of modeling chocolate to blend or tint your base color. This is a nice option because you will not affect texture at all and you will have a fairly good idea of the direction you are going with the colors you are trying to achieve. I like to have brown or chocolate MC on hand to mute and soften my modeling chocolate colors as well. If you have a basic rainbow of modeling chocolate colors on hand you can blend at whim to achieve any color.
11. Coloring with colored fondant. A small amount of commercial colored fondant is used to color the MC. If you are working with a colored fondant sometimes it is advantageous to color your modeling chocolate with the fondant to reach a complimentary shade. This works well if you keep your fondant to around 25%. Much more than that and you will lose some of the lovely characteristics of MC and it will start to act more like fondant.
12. Coloring fondant with gels and adding to MC. Gel color is added to a small amount of fondant which is then added to the modeling chocolate. Adding gel to fondant first serves two purposes. First, it offsets some of the effects of the adding excess liquid to modeling chocolate. Be sure your fondant is firm or add extra cornstarch before you start. Second, it enables you to create a hypersaturated target color that you can then blend with the MC. This reduces the risk of color overshooting by directly adding color to your final product. Once again, it is advisable to add only 25% fondant to your modeling chocolate.
13. Coloring fondant with candy color and adding to MC. Candy color is added to fondant and then added to the MC. The reasoning is the same as above with a similar result. Once again the candy color has a slight softening effect so start with firm modeling chocolate or add a touch of cornstarch.
Here are the Post-coloring effects. These methods are best used for artistic touches such as dusting petals, painting details or accentuating texture.
14. Dusting with petal dust. Dust on a layer of petal dust over a rolled out, cut or shaped decoration. This method works well for solid color effects as well as gradients and soft shading. The oils in MC adhere well to the petal dust for both dramatic and subtle coloring. For strong color effects use freshly shaped MC which has oils on the surface.
15. Dusting with luster dust. Luster dust works similarly well with MC as petal dust but the color saturation is not as strong due to the translucence of the shimmer particles. For solid color shimmer pieces, color the modeling chocolate first and then dust with a complimentary shade of luster dust.
16. Painting with petal dust and lemon extract. Mix a small amount of petal dust with lemon extract and paint onto a cut or shaped piece of modeling chocolate. I feel that dusting gives a smoother effect. I had some slight clumping when painting, but this is also an option and gives very solid saturation.
17. Painting with gel color. Apply gel color directly to the modeling chocolate with a paint brush. It beads up initially but as you stroke across the surface repeatedly it starts to set. This might be advantageous for accentuating texture such as wood grain. You could paint the color on and wipe off the beaded gel from the raised points before it is absorbed into the MC.
18. Painting with candy color. Brush candy color across the surface of the MC with a paint brush. Candy color smoothly coats the surface of the modeling chocolate. Some brush strokes are slightly noticeable but this might be desirable if you are going for an artistic painted look.
19. Sponging with gel color. Using a cosmetic sponge and a binder clip, dip into a small amount of gel and tamp to absorb (see Coloring Wafer Paper). Then sponge onto the MC for solid color or shading effects. This technique avoids the beading up associated with painting the gel on. The gel color seems to soften the modeling chocolate slightly.
20. Sponging with candy color. As above, load a cosmetic sponge with a small amount of candy color and sponge onto modeling chocolate. This gives a lovely solid finish, or you can sponge a blend of colors or achieve a gradient of color. This technique would work well on petals. The surface dries well after a few hours and does not soften the MC pieces.
21. Coloring with food safe markers. Color on a set piece of modeling chocolate with food safe markers. Allow your modeling chocolate to dry for a few hours before using this coloring method. You will not achieve solid coloring but it can be used to add small details or achieve a coloring book look. This may also work for adding wood grain texture or grass effects.
22. Spraying with food color spray. Can spray coloring can be used to lightly mist modeling chocolate that has been set to dry for a few hours (left). If you mist too heavily it will bead up (see right). This technique could be useful to accent texture or shade organic looking pieces. A similar effect could possibly be achieved using an airbrush but I did not explore this technique.
Phew! There they all are! I apologize for the longest post ever, but I wanted to provide as much information as possible. This is also the end of my current series on modeling chocolate. I hope this helps you on your way to many modeling chocolate adventures!
Smiles 🙂
This is awesome! I’m sure this took forever to test out and write up so thank you!!!!
Happy to do it!
Thanks, you did an incredible job with the info. I’m going to try the gel coloring today!
This is soooooo amazing…….just the other day I had a nightmare coloring white MC in black…..i ruined everything…..I was sure your next post will be on coloring and was eagerly waiting for it! Cant thank you enough!!!
Love your effort, love your vocabulary and your clear, concise descriptions of each coloring option and its results. Your work is exellent. Bravo! Well done!
This is awesome and absolutely gracious of you to experiment with such details and share the knowledge! :
thank you for making the effort in our behalf! 🙂
love your effort and your generosity! great read! thanks!
Wow! Super fabulous! What a great resource – thank you!
Awesome …. Thank you so much!
Oh Summer! Did the Modeling Chocolate gods sent you to do this quest and prove the greatness of their magnificent creation? I admire you so much! Thanks for all the help you are providing us. Great posts!
You are too sweet 😉
Hi! On the left sidebar there is a box to enter your email with a subscribe button under it. Hope this helps! Thanks for your interest 🙂
This is incredible! I love all the detail and that you were willing to go to all the trouble to test these methods and then share them with us! That’s so generous 🙂
Thanks for your kind words Amy!
Which gel color did you use to get the purple for this post? I love that shade, but can’t seem to get it with the colors I’m using. Thanks so much!
I used the Wilton candy color from their 4-pack of Garden Colors. But beware this color likes to fade in direct sunlight so try to have as little light exposure as possible.
Hmmm thanks for the tip on the fading. I still love that shade though, but I am working with fondant. Is it advisable to color fondant with candy colors?
It will soften it quite a bit so you would have to add cornstarch or powdered sugar to compensate. I would try a gel variation of the color if I were you. Beware of purple in all forms though. It is very subject to fading.
A lwealth of good info…Thanks for doing all the heavy lifting…
Would painting with liquid colours (like those from the grocery store) work? I need to make a motorbike cake topper and was thinking of painting some of the details onto the MC. Thanks for this post, a great resource!
Hi Sophie! It might get a little tricky painting details with liquid colors. As you first apply the color it beads off of the MC. As you stroke over the MC it sort of absorbs and then the color will cover. This might not work well on fine details. I would suggest using gel or oil color if you can access it, or maybe you could mix some liquid color with a very small amount of corn syrup and get it to stick. Best of luck!
What about using coloured candy melts in the first place? Do you think they would keep their colour well?
Yes! I usually start with colored candy melts and tone them with other candy melt MC or add a bit of gel or oil color to shift them a bit. And yes, they keep their color very well 🙂
Hi Summer,
I just now came upon your site and must say THANK YOU. You have saved me tons of demystification work. Very precise and well written, kudos.
Question: have you tried using Lecithin with powdered, gel, or liq coloring? If so what were your results? It should intensify the color and inhibit fading a bit.
Thanks again,
Bridget
Hi Bridget, I have used Flo Coat, which is primarily lecithin, in the past with gel colors and found that I still had to use a lot of coloring to get a saturated hue and the texture was affected some. I do not remember the effects on fading. I was not using a color that fades incredibly easily. I believe that I added the lecithin and the color in the mixing phase. It may have less influence on texture if added after the MC was made. 🙂
Thank you for your reply Summer. I really appreciate it.
I had no idea there was even such a thing as Flo-coat. I just went straight for the lecithin. I’d seen a few others allude to Flo-coat, but always wondered why someone would be referring to concrete resurfacer when obviously the topic was food. ;-P
The Americolor Flo-coat also has propylene glycol. And some additional colors which could help offset the rather amber lecithin color. Oh my goodness I think that’s why there are professional food chemists and engineers! Too much for my wee little brain.
Again, thank you so much for all your hard work so that the rest of us don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”, much needed info succinctly, and beautifully, presented in a logical and organized fashion. Oh be still my beating heart.
Thanks Bridget 😉
Brilliant post! Very useful.
You may also find interesting that I recently covered a cake in dark choc MC, but it needed to be black. I tried the pre and mid colouring methods, but the amount of gel needed to get the right colour saturation affected the taste in both methods. My third attempt was to cover the cake, then wearing rubber gloves that I had rubbed with a tiny amount of Trex (Crisco?), I dabbed a little black (sugarflair extra black) and was able to rub a very thin smear of colour directly onto the surface of the MC coating. It got me the intense black I needed, but kept the lovely chocolate taste of the covering.
Ooooo! Great suggestion! Thank you 🙂
Hi, just found this and love it! I’m new to all things like this, so my questions may be stupid, sorry. Can I use modelling chocolate to make cake decorations and will they stay firm? And could I use modelling chocolate to ice a cake, as in does it taste like chocolate?
Hi Ruth, Yes, you can make cake decorations from modeling chocolate. They are more rigid than fondant but retain a degree of flexibility over time. It cuts more clean than fondant and is easier to work with. It tastes chocolaty. The dark chocolate tastes a bit like a tootsie roll. 🙂
I have just made some MC with coloured candy melts and the texture seems ok as i’m kneading it but after rolling out it felt quite dry and cracked around the edges. Can I add more corn syrup or perhaps shortening to make it a bit more pliable. I may tryi mixing with fondant, i just want to roll it out to make a square plaque and polka dots.
Yes, you can do any of those things. I would start with a touch of corn syrup and then if it needs something more add a bit of shortening. You can also warm it in the microwave for 5 seconds to soften it. Adding a wee bit of fondant can help with flexibility too. I usually try to keep it at about 20% fondant or you start to lose some of the form and clean cuts that is crowning glory of modeling chocolate. Good luck!
thank you! I wasnt sure if i could add corn syrup after the fact. will try it!
Thank you sooo much for this research and sharing it with us ! This is very useful information and I have been enjoying modeling chocolate and coloring them ever since I found you 🙂 soooo appreciate it!
Can you use any of these methods on chocolate that you molded yourself?
Soooo amazing, i was in a marathon to find outwhat would work for MC… I thought Mc is so sensitive, as its chocolate, that it requird very accurate method n wasnt able to find one… Thanks for ur post… N i loved the lustre dust part… Unlike fondants, it dint even require a medium to stick on to it… T hanks a ton..
Is there any way to use powder with the mid-coloring method? Could I mix it with alcohol or something?
Thank you! Thank you!
you are awesome thanks for doing all the leg work..
Thanks Karen! My pleasure 🙂
Thank you so much for this great information! I wish I had found this before I started. I made modeling chocolate last night and added powdered food coloring to the corn syrup instead of the chocolate. I tried my best to break the clumps but wasn’t too successful. Now my modeling chocolate has tiny clumps of color.
If I press out the color to combine it, will I break the emulsion in my modeling chocolate?
I have been looking into painting on Swiss butter cream. do iou think any of the methods listed would work?
Thank you so much you have answered my question here’s hoping I can get the colour I want for my Gunter and Rosita models .
Thank you for taking the time! I am an advanced cake decorator and if I need a refresher, I check you out! Your work is clean and gorgeous! I was looking for why not to cover a styrofoam cake, (cake competition) ? Cant you cove with fondant first if need be? I have used styrofoam on a totem pole I did, Not sure why you are saying do not cover a cake dummie with chocolate clay? Confused.
Thanks for the clear info! I’m a beginner working with modelling chocolate and I need all the help I can get.
Question, how do you get white modelling chocolate white? The chocolate I had on hand gave me a yellow product, and when I tried to whiten it with titanium dioxide powder I needed a lot of it, and ended up with a slightly crumbly modelling chocolate. Any suggestions on overcoming that?
Hi Gracie! I’m glad you found this information helpful. The easiest way to get a white modeling chocolate is to use Bright White candy melts (by Wilton). They are already toned a pure white color. Getting a true white with white chocolate is difficult because of the natural yellow of cocoa butter. If you are interested in using real white chocolate you can combat the yellow by reducing your corn syrup by a tablespoon or two and adding in a tablespoon or two of liquid white food coloring to the remaining corn syrup before stirring it into the melted chocolate. You can also mix in a very small amount of purple food coloring to visually neutralize the yellow notes.
You can try adding more corn syrup to your crumbly modeling chocolate to see if it will come together. It may not work but it’s worth a try!
I hope you find a good solution. Stick with modeling chocolate. It’s such a great medium that’s it’s worth the learning curve!
I forgot about your advice to add a tinge of purple to neutralise the yellow tone, but adding the syrup (I used glucose) helped in getting the chocolate together. My friend who asked for a bunny was ok with an off-white bunny so it worked out. Many thanks for your response! I prefer the taste of white chocolate, so I’m very reluctant to use candy melts. Will give the purple coloring a try the next time round!
I’m glad you were able to make it work regardless!
I’m trying my hand at making a birch bark cake (having made white pound cake and chocolate cake layers) and would like to know if 70% bittersweet chocolate can be successfully colored white by mixing in bright white candy melts while melting the chocolate. Is there a rule of thumb on how much of the candy melts to add in proportion to the chocolate?
Also, would you recommend any other alternative way to using the white candy melts to whiten the bittersweet chocolate?
Many thanks!
Sadly, I don’t think that there is any way to make bittersweet chocolate white. The cocoa compounds are going to overpower the white. You will have to start with candy melts alone or white chocolate alone. You could layer white over the bittersweet chocolate to camouflage it. But otherwise I think it would be an exercise in futility. Sorry! I hope you find a good solution with the results you want.
My daughter wants red chocolate roses with black tips on her birthday cake. She wants them made out of chocolate mc. Can I color dark mc red ?
Hi Betty, You will not be able to get brown chocolate to go to a true red. It may take on a red tinge, but probably not what you are looking for. You could start with white chocolate, or perhaps white chocolate with a portion of milk chocolate would still go red. True red is even difficult to achieve starting from white chocolate. It is easiest to start with red candy melts for the truest color. You may be stuck in a spot where you choose either flavor or color, or have to meet somewhere in the middle. Best of luck!
Thank you for the reply. Thank you also for the wonderful blog you have. It’s very helpful.
Thanks so much for this in-depth post. I’m sure it was very time consuming and yet you did it. You’re really cool!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Good to know thanks