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Cream Tips & Tricks

reading: 8 min

How to color whipped cream

Want to learn how to make a cake with beautiful decorations made of soft colored cream? Put on your apron and follow our tips!

What food coloring should I use to color cream?

If baking is your passion and you can’t wait to try your hand at delicious whipped cream decorations , you’ve come to the right place: in this article, we’ll show you how to easily color whipped cream for a truly stunning result! Colored cream is ideal for making beautiful desserts, muffins, and tarts suitable for any occasion . Whether it’s Carnival, Halloween, or a child’s birthday, here you’ll find plenty of ideas for any party.

Let’s start by saying that there are different types of food coloring for cream. Let’s look at them together:

Liquid food coloring: This type of food coloring produces fairly pale colors, less intense than other types. Remember to add it to the mixture one drop at a time , as it may alter the consistency.

Natural coloring: This category includes all those ingredients commonly used in cooking that are characterized by strong pigmentation. To name just a few: coffee , cocoa, saffron , strawberries…

Spray food coloring: Spray food colorings are applied directly to the decorated cake and create a perfect , vibrant hue . The process is simple: just shake well before use and hold about 30 cm away from the cream. They are typically used for modern cakes made with ganache or whipped cream-based ganache.

Gel food coloring: Gel food coloring has a very intense pigmentation , so you only need a small amount to add color to your desserts! Add it to the whipped cream, stirring slowly from the bottom up. It can be quite thick, so to make it easier, dilute it with a very small amount of water.

Powdered dye: This dye is a naturally extracted, water-soluble powder that must be diluted with water to create a delicate dye that can be used to create beautiful shades of color.

But how do you choose the right type of food coloring? It depends on the result you want to achieve and the different ways to prepare colored cream. In the following paragraphs, we’ll help you understand which is the perfect choice for your cake design ideas!

spoon with edible gelatin cube
Decorazione onda

How to color whipping cream

Let’s start by seeing which food colorings are best added to whipping cream, that is, before starting the preparation, and which ones should be used afterward.

Whip the cream
1

Whip the cream
First, make sure you know all the tricks for whipping cream to perfection. It’s important that the fresh liquid cream and all the kitchen utensils you’ll be using, such as the bowl and whisk, are very cold : so leave them in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before proceeding. For a firmer mixture, you can add a stabilizer like a few grams of xanthan gum or starch.

Yellow dye
2

Prepare the dye

Depending on the type of food coloring you choose, the preparation process will vary. The food coloring must be liquid when added to the whipping cream, so if you’ve opted for powdered food coloring , dilute it in a little water. Always add a few drops at a time to control the consistency and achieve the desired color .

Pink cream
3

How to color whipped cream

Gel food colorings are perfect for this purpose because they’re added to the whipped cream . Dilute it slightly if it’s very thick and fold it into the cream using bottom-up motions until smooth.

Whip the cream
1

Whip the cream
First, make sure you know all the tricks for whipping cream to perfection. It’s important that the fresh liquid cream and all the kitchen utensils you’ll be using, such as the bowl and whisk, are very cold : so leave them in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before proceeding. For a firmer mixture, you can add a stabilizer like a few grams of xanthan gum or starch.

Yellow dye
2

Prepare the dye

Depending on the type of food coloring you choose, the preparation process will vary. The food coloring must be liquid when added to the whipping cream, so if you’ve opted for powdered food coloring , dilute it in a little water. Always add a few drops at a time to control the consistency and achieve the desired color .

Pink cream
3

How to color whipped cream

Gel food colorings are perfect for this purpose because they’re added to the whipped cream . Dilute it slightly if it’s very thick and fold it into the cream using bottom-up motions until smooth.

How to color whipped cream without artificial coloring

Have you decided to use only natural ingredients for your cake? Great idea! Coloring whipped cream without artificial coloring is possible, you just need to know how. There are many common ingredients that have very intense pigmentation and can therefore be used as colorings to decorate cakes . Coffee, strawberries, saffron, cocoa, and other elements found in nature are all available for you to have fun in the kitchen and create truly beautiful whipped cream decorations!

Again, these should be added to the cream before whipping . Natural colorings should be added little by little, until the desired color is achieved; since they’re all different, there’s no rule about how much to add per ml of cream; you’ll have to guess what color works best. If you notice the cream’s consistency is changing, you can fix it with powdered sugar or a little cornstarch to thicken it. Always keep in mind, however, that using these colorings could compromise the final result, especially if you plan to use the cream for piping decorations.

Cocoa and coffee are perfect for creating all shades of brown , while saffron creates yellow . Fruit is a precious ally: you can blend it and sieve it to create a puree, or squeeze it to obtain its juice . Choose blueberries for a blue color , blackberries for purple , while strawberries and berries work as red dye. And for green ? Opt for matcha tea or a mint extract.

Finally, one last important tip: be careful not to alter the flavor of the cream . Unlike artificial food colorings , natural ones have their own flavor (sometimes very intense, like saffron and coffee!) that could alter or even cover the flavor of the whipped cream. So make sure the other ingredients in your dessert pair well with the colorant you choose, and don’t overdo it.

three glasses with food coloring dissolved in water
Blue splash background

How to use colored cream in the kitchen: some ideas

Colored cream is perfect for creating a variety of delicious fillings or decorations for any occasion. It's super easy to make: all you need is a piping bag, a few nozzles, and a willingness to create!

Here are some ideas for your recipes. Curls, roses, and lines are quick and easy to create, but always impressive: romantic roses made with pink or lilac cream are perfect for a Valentine’s Day dessert, while muffins decorated with blue and red swirls are sure to please all the kids! For curls, simply place the cream in a piping bag with a nozzle and create swirls , while for roses, use a star tip and swirl in a spiral motion.

Another cake design idea is to add a little sifted fresh ricotta to whipped cream to create a delicious mousse that can be used to completely cover cakes and pies. Once this is done, let it chill in the refrigerator and you’ll have a perfect base for adding flowers, powdered sugar, or fondant decorations in your favorite shapes.

Have you seen basket-shaped cakes online and want to try them yourself? We’ll show you how! All you need is a fluted nozzle to create horizontal stripes of cream, intersecting them with parallel vertical stripes, following a classic woven pattern .

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