Ann Reardon

How To Color Fondant

how to colour fondant

Usually in cake decorating videos I use fondant that I have already coloured before I start recording. This has lead to lots of questions about how to colour fondant, how to colour fondant without staining your hands and especially how to color black fondant, brown fondant and bright pink fondant. So in this video I have set about to answer all of those questions and show you how to mix every colour using only five gel food colours.

Below is a chart of all the colours made using only 5 base gel colours. The base colors that I used were
Black: (number 36 on the chart) I used Artisan midnight black
Magenta: (number 28 on the chart) I used progel pink (this one was the best and strongest colour pink, see the video)
Cyan: (number 33 on the chart) I used Artisan azure blue
Yellow (number 30 on the chart): Artisan Sunshine yellow
Red: (29 on the chart) I used artisan red

Feel free to experiment using other brands. Test first to see if the colour you get with 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) added to 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant is significantly different to that shown in the chart (28, 29,30,33, 36). If it is not the same then obviously your mixed colours will look different too.

chart of fondant colors

For measuring purposes if you need to add a fraction of a drop, add one drop to a small amount of white fondant and mix it in. Then if for example you need 1/4 of a drop cut it into 4 pieces.
If you are scaling it up 20 drops = 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) = approx 1/4 teaspoon

1 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 3 drops magenta, 2 drops yellow, 1/5 drop cyan
2 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1 drop red
3 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1/2 drop yellow
4 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 2 drops yellow, 1/4 drop cyan
5 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1/2 drop cyan, 1/4 drop yellow
6 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1/2 drop cyan
7 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 2 drops magenta, 1 drop cyan
8 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 2 drops yellow, 1 drop magenta, 1/4 drop cyan
9 plain white fondant
10 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1/2 drop magenta
11 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 4 drops yellow, 2 drops magenta
12 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 4 drops yellow
13 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 17 drops yellow, 2 drops cyan
14 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 4 drops cyan, 2 drops yellow
15 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 4 drops cyan
16 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 5 drops magenta, 2 1/2 drops cyan
17 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 2 drops magenta, 1 drop yellow, 1/4 drop black
18 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 4 drops of black
19 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 5 drops magenta
20 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 13 drops yellow, 7 drops magenta
21 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 7 drops yellow
22 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 13 drops yellow, 7 drops cyan
23 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 8 drop cyan, 4 drops yellow
24 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 8 drops cyan
25 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 10 drops magenta, 5 drops cyan
26 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 12 drops magenta, 6 drops yellow and 1 1/2 drops black
27 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1/2 mL (0.07 fluid ounces) or 10 drops black
28 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) or 1/4tsp magenta
29 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) or 1/4tsp red
30 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) or 1/4tsp yellow
31 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 10 drops cyan, 10 drops yellow
32 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 13 drops cyan, 7 drops yellow
33 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) or 1/4tsp cyan
34 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 13 drops magenta, 7 drops cyan
35 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 12 drops yellow, 6 drops magenta and 1 1/2 drops cyan
36 per 100g (3.53 ounces) of fondant add 1mL (0.03 fluid ounces) or 1/4tsp black

Copyright © 2018 Reardon Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. How To Cook That

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All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

31 Comments View Comments

  1. Rating: 5

    Great tutorial! Really helpful, but since computer screens are different it would really help if you added what the color was next to its number. For example: #26 on my screen looks burgundy, but when I mixed the colors, it was brown!

  2. i need a darker brown how do i do that

    • Can anyone tell me wher to buy Artisan gel colours also Progel I live in southern Sydney.

  3. Rating: 5

    Which color would you recommend for the pot on your watering can gravity defying cake?

  4. Rating: 5

    Home baker here, not the all the time, really good type, just love to try when have time, and my daughter wanted a teenage mutant ninja turtle cake for her 6th birthday. Not currently being in my home country to have a lot of choice options and never having used fondant before, your tutorial an absolute lifesaver, and gave me the confidence to even try. Just did all my fondant colors for the cake and they came out just as in your chart, perfect color the first time and with minimal mess. Thank you so much!

  5. Rating: 5

    Thank you for sharing, new to baking so really useful.

  6. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann,
    First of all, this is incredibly helpful! I’m just wondering how you measure a “drop” of the Wilton’s gel color.
    Thanks!

  7. Rating: 5

    Sooo good !!,

  8. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann,
    I just finished my first attempt at using fondant and this tutorial was really helpful. I got a really nice shade of black with minimal mess.

  9. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann. I am running a small cake decorating supply company and thinking on importing some food colours to my home country. The company am thinking to buy the colours from, has a very wide range of colours. (Both colours range and colour types ). I watched your video so I guess I must concentrate on these 5 colours. But do you have any advise for me??? My wrong decision could cost me a lot! Your advice is highly appreciated! ????❤

    • Hi Negin, I’d advise you to buy a small amount first and test them. Run tests for 1. how strong the colour is (ie how much do you need to add to get the same brightness shown here) 2. Check taste – I’ve had some brands before that have an unpleasant taste when in fondant / buttercream particularly with reds and pinks. 3. Do a fading test – mix with fondant cover half with foil and let it get about 15 minutes of sunshine – again especially a problem with some brands of pink. 4. Check the company you are buying from is reputable as far as food saftey standards, you don’t want anything in the colour that should not be there. 5. Make sure they are packaged well/insured for transit – one broken gel food colouring can ruin the labelling on a whole box. 6. Ask about use-by dates and make sure you can sell it in that timeframe. 7. Consider import duties and taxes – but I am sure you would already know that with your existing business stock.

      Hope that helps

      • Thanks a TON! You are so kind beside being an excellent baker 🙂 I actually got some samples from that company and passed them to my customers and they were happy about some and unhappy about the others. I would rather to import colours that are produced in EU as my country is following same regulation of EU standard. I would be very appreciated if you can recommend some brands if you know any in Europe.Maybe you can email me??? I am not an expert in baking, so for me, checking the products by those techniques you recommended would be a bit challanging. I don’t have the knowledge …Sorry…I know there are always some concerns when it come to suggesting a specific brands. The one I was trying their samples is “Magic Colour” and a new one am trying to negotiate with is “Rainbow dust” colours. Thanks again for your kind reply!

  10. Rating: 5

    You are a fondant rockstar! ?
    Thank you for the best chart ever! ?

    • ?? I’m glad ti was helpful Annicka

  11. Rating: 5

    This is ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for sharing your gift. Very very helpful!

    • ??

  12. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann
    I love your videos …especially the one on how to color fondant. Do you give classes. I would love to attend one of them. If yes …are you located in the USA
    Respectfully
    Ann

    • G’day Ann, I am located in Australia. Sorry I don’t do in person classes at the moment.

  13. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann,
    I have just started out decorating cakes and come across your videos, which may I add are very good and professional.
    With the fondant colouring, I have bought milton paste, what’s the best way to measure the paste out. You put drops in your table but for the paste it’s not possible. I’ve experimented before using it and I’ve used a tooth pick to add the colour to the fondant, never have I got a good colour like the ones in your table. Any advice, I’d appreciate

    Many thanks,
    Darren.

  14. Rating: 5

    Brilliant! Fab video on Youtube as well!

    • Thanks Gaynor ?

  15. Rating: 3.5

    Hi I’m looking to make a dark green. The same green in the Green Bay Packers logo. What do you think the right combination is?

    • Rating: 5

      Hi Ann,

      Ken up there just asked the exact same question I wanted to ask – need a dark green shade for a fondant cactus from the Ariocarpus genus. GREAT chart of colors with recipe and thanks in advance for your help with this!

  16. Rating: 5

    This is fantastic! If I wanted to make burnt orange would I just add a bit of brown to orange? Also, how would I make a red wine color? Thank you!!!

    • Hi Angel, yes for burnt orange you’d only need to add a small amount of the brown to the orange. For red wine is tricky because it is transparent so it its different colours depending not he light going through it ranging from quite red to almost black.

  17. Rating: 5

    You are truly amazing Ann. I love how you don’t just do crazy stuff that no one but an expert can replicate in order to get views on your video, you just do awesome stuff and helpful stuff ❤️❤️❤️

    • Thanks Rachel, I’m glad you liked it.

  18. Rating: 4

    can we use the same technique for fresh whipped cream as well ????

    • hi Sana, there will be slight variation if you are using buttercream because it has a yellow hue to it instead of white as a base.

  19. ahhhh OMG I LOVE THIS !! I love the video but the photos you took should be framed and on my wall!! Gorgeous!

    • neat rows of colour always look lovely ??

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