To successfully colour or dye cake batter it is necessary to use a “bake stable” edible food colour. Not all food colours on the market will hold their colour during baking, the colour can change completely or just be very pale and washed out regardless of the amount of colour used. It is also necessary to use a paste or gel edible food colour, as a liquid will alter the consistency of your batter and may affect the rise of your cake.
“Bake stable” food colouring has properties which allow it to be baked at a high temperature without it altering, the colour batter you see before baking will be the same after baking. This does include colours like cerise pink, red and even black.
The ProGel range in the picture below is perfect for baking and as you can see there are lots of colours and shades to choose from, it is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
When adding this food colour to your batter, squeeze a small amount of paste from the tube at a time as the colour is highly concentrated. The squeezy tube makes it mess-free, and easy to use, reseal and store.
These colours are perfect for rainbow-themed cakes, such as Unicorn and gay pride, they are available in a set of 6 vibrant shades and we have a pastel and essential set too.