wanting to pick the brains of you cake makers

misspenny

im planning on making one of these for my son's 3rd birthday which is next saturday, my main problem is finding green food colouring none of my local supermarkets seem to have green, blue and pink seems to be the only colours they stock, im planning on useing butter icing - its my fave as i find it easy to make and it dosent have to be a perfect finish. any ideas/suggestions to make my life easier, my ds love the hungry caterpiller book and the only thing he wants is a caterpiller cake he wont even tell me what he wants as a present.

Gingernutmeg

I'd have a look in a bigger supermarket. You can generally find at least the primary colours (red, blue, yellow) and then you'd be able to buy blue and yellow and mix green. Failing that, if you look online for a cake decorating suppliers you'd be able ot buy green paste food colouring, which would be much better for buttercream than the liquid anyway. Off the top of my head I'm thinking somewhere like Squires - they're not the cheapest but when I've ordered from them they're generally quite quick. Or, you could try googling for your nearest cake decorating shop or Hobbycraft, as they'd have the paste colours too.

greenbee

Gingernutmeg wrote: »

I'd have a look in a bigger supermarket. You can generally find at least the primary colours (red, blue, yellow) and then you'd be able to buy blue and yellow and mix green. Failing that, if you look online for a cake decorating suppliers you'd be able ot buy green paste food colouring, which would be much better for buttercream than the liquid anyway. Off the top of my head I'm thinking somewhere like Squires - they're not the cheapest but when I've ordered from them they're generally quite quick. Or, you could try googling for your nearest cake decorating shop or Hobbycraft, as they'd have the paste colours too.

I agree about using paste - if you use enough liquid to get a decent colour you can taste it! I use this website and have found them very good, but my local kitchen shops usually stock a reasonable (but variable :rolleyes:) range of colours.

thriftlady_2

I recommend paste colours too. I have a big box of them (Christmas present) from Squires. They seem expensive but they are actually cheaper because you need so much less of them to get a good colour. They don't dilute your icing like the liquid ones and they last forever. Once you've bought some you won't ever need to replace them -well that's a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea.

I'd give you a link to the online shop but it is taking ages to load. It is Squires Online Shop.

debtmuncher

ditto using the pastes. before i knew this i used food colouring and it doesnt work....as mentioned before it thins the icing out plus you dont get an even colour...it was as if it had curdled. not really worth the hassle...go for a paste and enjoy the making of the cake! it will be fun!

http://www.cakecraftshop.co.uk/shop/8/104/123/index.htm

thriftlady_2

Linky working now. This is the set I have, but don't worry you can buy the pastes individually.

esmf73

They do lots of different things in Hungry Caterpiller - and more coming soon!

misspenny

thanks for all the help and advice cake has come out great my little boy loves it - i just hope he's going to let us cut it later this afternoon. when i'd finished iceing yesterday he came in the kitchen and said in super adorable 3 year old style said "thank you very very much mummy for making me a cat-eee-piller cake" think you ladies deserve a share of that very cute thank you too.

Penelope_Penguin

thriftlady wrote: »

Linky working now. This is the set I have, but don't worry you can buy the pastes individually.

I must stop coming on here - for a money saving site, why do people keep posting about things that I have to spend my money on. I've just got to have one of those sets

thriftlady - 24 colours What colours are they?

Penny. x

thriftlady_2

OK, you did ask:D

hydrangea
hyacinth
wisteria
bluebell
violet
lilac
holly/ivy
leaf green
fern
mint
mint (yes 2 mints, I think I've been shortchanged a colour there)
cactus
berberis
poppy
poinsettia
cyclamen
fuchsia
rose
daffodil
nasturtium
marigold
chestnut
blackberry
edelweiss (white- not sure how this one works)

Aren't ya jealous?:D

The only problem is knowing what the colours are going to look like because most of them are very dark in the pots. It's a bit of a lucky dip. I wish the colours could have been represented on the tops of the pots. I don't use them much, but it's fun to make a batch of fairy cakes with different coloured icing. I like to emulate these.They make me happy and the kids hyper.

northwest1965

I know this is too late but just thought I'd let you know that while in Morrisons today I looked at the colourings. They stock quite a few, red, green, blue, yellow, brown etc.