Black Buttercream Frosting

Who wants stained teeth from eating a slice of cake? When I first made black buttercream frosting, it was a mess and I searched high and low to figure out how it’s done without all the food dye.

What Do I Need to Make Black Buttercream?

There are a couple different things you need in order to dye your buttercream black. I’ve tried many different black cocoa powders but my favorite is the black cocoa powder by King Arthur Flour. We do have to add some dye in order to get a rich color. I use AmeriColors black gel food coloring because their colors are vibrant which means we need less gel drops. Another reason to use gel food dye is that it won’t change the consistency of your frosting like liquid food drops.

What Type of Buttercream Can I use?

The recipe I use is my faux Swiss meringue buttercream (recipe at the bottom), but you can use this method to dye any type of buttercream, including American buttercream!

I use a “faux” version of Swiss meringue buttercream because its easy to make, doesn’t need hear, and still creates that tasty and silky texture – perfect for decorating. Please note, it doesn’t crust like an American buttercream.

Watch the Video!

Black Buttercream Tips

Tip #1 Use Black Cocoa Powder

The Dutch-processed cocoa powder you buy at the grocery store is different from black cocoa powder. Besides a difference in color there’s a difference in pH and acidity, giving it a different flavor profile.

Black cocoa has a little bit higher pH than your typical Dutch-processed cocoa. Black cocoa is also less acidic than baking cocoa resulting in its interesting taste!

I describe black cocoa like a dark chocolate sandwich cookie or an Oreo. It’s slightly bittersweet but chocolaty making it really great for buttercream! My favorite black cocoa is by King Arthur.

The deep color of this cocoa powder will help in achieving a black buttercream frosting. It’s much harder to get black buttercream when starting with a white base because it will require a lot of black food dye. When you use large amounts of food gel dye it can alter the final taste.

Tip #2 Use Black Gel Food Coloring

When starting with a darker base color, you only have to add a little bit of food dye.

We’ll have to use a bit of black food gel in order to reach a very dark shade.

The important thing to note here is we are using gel food color, not liquid food color. The difference is that liquid food coloring changes the consistency of frosting if you start adding too much. And when it comes to trying to achieve black buttercream frosting, you have to add enough so it will be a deep color.

I use gel food dye to color all of my frostings and icings. Gel doesn’t change the consistencies of icings and gives vibrant colors. Gel is more concentrated, which means you can add less and get brighter colors!

My favorite brand is AmeriColor. You can also find them on Amazon.

Tip #3 Make Black Buttercream Frosting in Advance

Making black buttercream frosting in advance is a great trick to not only let the color deepen with time, but to save you time on the decorating day! This trick can be used to deepen most colors.

Simply make the frosting a few days or more in advance. The color of the frosting will get darker with the power of time.

SMBC can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for up to 3 months. The key is to let it come to room temperature to deepen the color. If you are taking it out of the freezer, I suggest placing it on your counter the night before use.

SMBC is sensitive to temperatures, so you must whip it in your mixer to bring it back together.

Click here to get my recipe and tips on SMBC.

Tip #4 Heat Buttercream in the Microwave

When I first learned about this trick, it felt strange. Heat up buttercream?

This trick is helpful but you should know it will change frosting consistency. It is a bit tricky working with SMBC so lets break it down.

Microwave Method

Scoop 1/4 cup of your black buttercream frosting into a microwavable bowl. Add additional black gel food coloring and mix.

Then, microwave the frosting for 5-10 seconds. The frosting will be melted and deeper in color. Pour this into the bowl with the rest of the frosting and mix on low speed for 5-10 minutes.

If you have soupy or curdled looking frosting, check out the tips below.

Soupy Buttercream Fix

Let’s say you whipped your buttercream and it has a smooth texture but its not a dark enough color. If we use the microwave method, and add 1/4 cup of melted buttercream into the smooth buttercream, it may become runny. To fix this, stick the mixing bowl in the fridge for about ten minutes. It’s a bit of trial and error.

Curdled Buttercream Fix

If you froze and kept SMBC in the fridge, it may look curdled when you go to re-whip it.

Don’t panic!

If your SMBC looks curdled, melting buttercream is a method used to fix it – not just to achieve a deep black frosting. When SMBC is curdled, it’s because its too cold and the butter, sugar, and egg whites are separating. The microwave method not only fixes the frosting, but can deepen our colors.

After microwaving the frosting, make sure to let it whip for 5-10 minutes or more. The key to SMBC is to whip it long enough and on low speed to incorporate everything and get the silky smooth texture.

How to Get Rid of Air Bubbles

For silky, smooth frosting mix with a paddle attachment on low for 10-20 minutes.

Or, if you’d like an arm workout, use a rubber spatula and press the frosting against the bowl to release trapped air bubbles.

How Much Black Buttercream Frosting Do I Need?

One batch is good to fill and frost a 6-inch cake with some left over.

One batch can fill and frost a 8-inch cake.

When adding extra piping and designs, I always make 1 1/2 batches or 2 batches of frosting.

RECIPE CARD