Hey Besties! Today I’m tackling one of the most frequently asked questions in cookie decorating! How do you make black royal icing that gives you beautiful results? Bestie, I’m going to level with you because I always give it to you straight. MANY cookiers are making this MUCH harder than it needs to be. After seeing and hearing from so many cookiers who are driving themselves crazy making vivid colors, we’re breaking this down today. It’s slowly killing me seeing the time and frustration so many of you are dealing with on this, so let’s fix that!
Common royal icing coloring concerns
The two most common concerns cookiers have when coloring their icing stem from fears of color bleeding and oversaturation. These are 2 royal icing issues that can occur, usually more frequently for new cookiers who are still learning how to make and work with royal icing. Environmental factors, such as high humidity in your home can also play a role. But the good news is that these issues can be easily avoided simply by learning HOW to make royal icing properly.
Royal icing structure
Bestie, when your royal icing is made with the proper structure from the start, color bleed and oversaturation will rarely, if ever, occur. Once you learn how to make icing the right way, you won’t ever have to even worry about these issues, and cookie decorating is so much more fun.
When mixing your royal icing, it MUST be mixed to at least medium, if not stiff peaks. If your icing is only mixed to a thin consistency, you will experience color bleed along with other icing issues. The icing simply doesn’t have the molecular structure it needs. Royal icing that is only mixed to a thin consistency, like a flood, is not fully made, so the chance of icing issues is much greater.
Royal icing with a low meringue powder to powdered sugar ratio will also be more prone to color bleed. The egg whites and other ingredients in meringue powder work to stabilize your royal icing. If you don’t use enough meringue powder, your icing won’t have that structure it needs. This is also why royal icing made with egg whites and not meringue powder, is more prone to color bleed and other issues.
When your icing has the proper structure, the chance of oversaturation occurring is also greatly reduced. It’s commonly recommended to stop adding coloring when you’re a shade or two away from the color you want. But if your icing has the proper structure, coloring to the shade you want will not cause oversaturation. But you may end up with a color darker than what you actually want since colors will deepen as they dry.
Long story short? You’re not battling a coloring issue…it all comes back to your royal icing recipe and how it’s made.
Royal Icing’s nemesis
If your home has an average humidity level throughout the year, consider yourself a lucky cookier! Because royal icing is VERY sensitive to humidity and can cause real frustration for cookiers in the extremes. And we’re talking about the humidity level IN your home, not necessarily outside. The humidity level outside can be VERY different than inside your home. So unless you’re making icing outside, the indoor humidity level is what matters.
If your humidity level is lower (below 35%) inside, you’ll notice your icing dries faster, cookies can dry out faster and color bleed is more uncommon. You’ll also use more water in your icing compared to someone with more humidity in their home.
If your humidity level is higher (above 50%) inside, you’ll use less water when making your icing and your icing will take longer to dry. This is where color bleed can come into play even if your icing has the proper structure. If your home has that higher humidity level, I highly suggest using a drying method like a dehydrator to speed up drying. Many cookiers who have really humid homes use a dehumidifier in the room where they decorate and it makes a world of difference for them.
I mention this because humidity plays a really big role when it comes to making and decorating with royal icing. You can absolutely be a successful cookier in any climate, but you need to know how to adapt to your climate. And know that is can, and does, change with the seasons too! You will find what works beautifully for you!
Royal icing recipes
Bestie, I’m like a broken record with this, but I’ll never stop saying it because it’s that important. Not all royal icing is the same. Cookie decorators chat and talk like we’re all using the same royal icing, but every recipe and method for making yields different results. So what works beautifully for one cookier, may not work for you. You may have to try a few (or more) different recipes to find the icing you love the best, it’s all a part of the process. It’s also why I encourage cookiers to try a different recipe if the one they are using is not giving them the results they want. It may not be you…it may be the recipe or how it works in your specific environment. You’re not married to any recipe, so experiment!
You’d be amazed at how many cookiers contact me after they try a different recipe and can’t believe what a difference it makes. And I’m not saying the recipe I use is the best or the one you will love. But please try something different if you’re being plagued with icing issues.
The royal icing recipe I use every day can be found HERE and gives me beautiful, consistent results. I NEVER experience color bleed, oversaturation, or other common issues. Even piping black or red on top of a white cookie, I never have to worry. It is this carefree, worry-free decorating experience that I want for you!
Making Black Royal Icing
Alright, it took us a minute to get here, but the moral of the story is what got us to this point. If your icing has the proper structure, color bleeding and oversaturation should not occur. If these are issues you are running into, it’s time to troubleshoot your recipe and how your icing is being made.
When I’m making black royal icing or any other vivid color, I simply add my coloring until I’m about a shade away from the color I want. And then I immediately start decorating my cookies. I know my icing my develop and dry slightly darker, so I don’t need to wait 2, 3 or 4 days to see that. I simply don’t have time to wait for icing for days…that’s bananas to me. But I also don’t judge other cookiers if you want to watch your icing develop over hours or days. You do what works best for you, but just know, you don’t have to do that. And the more you work with royal icing, the more comfortable you’ll become with your icing and how to make colors.
It’s really this simple Bestie…make sure your icing has the proper structure from the start and simply color your icing. It’s not rocket science or something that needs hours or days of your time.
Meringue powder and color saturation
It is worth mentioning that you’ll achieve better color saturation using higher quality meringue powder, resulting in using less color. For example, in my meringue powder showdown, we learned that icing made with Wilton meringue powder requires a lot more coloring compared to icing made with Genie’s Dream meringue powder. So this is another factor for you to be aware of when deciding on ingredients in your icing.
Royal Icing video
To show you exactly how I color my icing and see how it turns out, I created THIS quick video for you! Also note that the white flood base of this cookie was fully dry when I piped this black. Yet another thing you’ll hear in the cookie community – to pipe on top of crusted icing instead of fully dry, to avoid color bleed and cratering. Bestie, I decorate on top of both crusted and fully dry cookies every day and none of them have color bleed. Again, it all goes back to the structure of your icing.
My youngest is about to move to Nashville for college so I created this fun cookie design with her in mind. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Need more help?
Bestie, I’m here for you. Actually, we have thousands of Besties that are HERE to help. If you have questions about your icing, need help or want to share your work, join us at that link. It’s the best way to get quick help, inspiration, encouragement and tips!
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