How To Make Gold Colored Icing?

How To Make Gold Colored Icing?

Do you want to make your cakes and cupcakes look extra special? Why not try adding gold colored icing to the mix! It’s really easy to do, and the results are stunning.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to make gold colored icing from scratch. So whether you’re a beginner baker or an experienced pro, you’ll be able to create beautiful golden cakes in no time. Read on for all the details!

What Is Cake Gold Icing?

Cake gold icing is a mixture of edible products designed for decorating cakes and other sweet goods. These ingredients have the ability to be molded, formed or cut into various shapes and sizes in order to enhance the appearance of your cakes and confections. The uses for cake gold icing are not limited to just decoration but also in creating detailed stencils or imprints on your cakes. Cake gold icing can be used to create the designs pictured above, but are not limited purely to chocolate work.

What Colors Make Gold Icing?

If you love looking at cakes decorated with gold, you may be very curious about the colors used to make gold icing. There are not too many food coloring options that yield a true golden color; however, there are several ways for how to achieve this result.

Most commonly, people use yellow (PMS 107) and brown (PMS 439) coloring. Another option is adding a small amount of brown to yellow to make orange, which will give you more of a golden hue. If you have very light-colored frosting, it may be difficult if not impossible to notice the difference.

In order to create a deeper or darker color, add gold metallic luster dust or dusting powder to either the buttercream or royal icing (depending on whether you use buttercream or royal icing as your base). You can also make an ombre effect with this gold by using brown coloring in the middle and yellow to lighten at the edges.

Step-By-Step Guide: How To Make Gold Colored Icing?

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. of yellow or orange food coloring (adjust the amount depending on how light or dark you want it)
• 2 cups of powder sugar (make sure to sift before adding in!)
• 5 teaspoons of warm water

Preparation:

Put your powder sugar and food coloring into a large bowl and mix together until the powder sugar is completely colored.

Add 5 teaspoons of warm water into the mixture and stir with a fork.

Continue to add 1 teaspoon of water at a time into the mixture, stirring as you go along, making sure that there is no lumps in your mixture before adding another teaspoon. You can either mix with a fork or using your hands, which I’d recommend if the mixture is hard to stir.

You’ll know that you’ve added enough water when the mixture has become as smooth as possible and it feels like playdoh (I promise!).

Once you’ve reached this stage, put your hand on top of the mixture and feel it’s weight. If you can feel that your hand is sinking into the mixture, then there’s too much water and you’ll need to continue adding powder sugar (again, make sure to sift first!).

Once you’ve reached a point where you cannot feel your hand sinking, start kneading the mixture until you cannot feel any more powder sugar.

If the mixture is still sticky, add in some more powder sugar until it’s no longer sticky (and repeat if needed). The amount of powder sugar added will vary depending on how wet or dry the mixture is at the time, so just remember to keep adding and kneading!

If the mixture is still a little wet at this point, don’t panic! Just pop some more powder sugar onto your hands and continue to mix until you can no longer feel any water.

Tadaa! You have now made gold colored icing!!!

Step-By-Step Guide: How To Make Natural Gold Icing Without Artificial Ingredients?

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Borax laundry booster
• 3 cups warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar (Balsamic or white)

Directions:

Step 1: Mix the cocoa powder with about 1/4 cup of warm water until it becomes a smooth paste.

Step 2: Pour the paste into a container, then gradually mix in about 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Add the borax and stir well. The mixture will start to thicken up immediately, so continue stirring. Be careful not to breathe in the powder!

Step 3: Let the mixture rest for a few minutes. Stirring it occasionally will break up any clumps of borax that may have formed. After a few minutes, the thick consistency should be gone and the solution should look like very thick chocolate milk.

Step 4: Add vinegar to the mixture. It will foam up slightly, so stir carefully.

Step 5: Add 1 cup of water to the mixture. Stir well so that it is incorporated and there are no lumps of borax left. The solution should be about as thick as chocolate milk at this point.

Step 6: Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture into a small jar.

Step 7: To the remaining solution, add 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir well until it is smooth.

Step 8: Add this to the jar with the gold icing mixture.

Step 9: Add glitter or sanding sugar for sparkle and shine! If you don’t have glitter or sanding sugar, you can omit this step.

Step 10: Use a small paintbrush to apply the solution to cookies, cakes, and other desserts. Use a toothpick for tiny areas where a paintbrush is too large for accuracy.

Step 11: Allow your creation to dry completely before enjoying!

Tips: Make sure the ingredients are mixed well, without any clumps of borax remaining. Stir frequently while mixing to make sure that you don’t breathe in the powder.

If you want to apply more than one color of gold icing to your creation, make several small jars of solution (about 1/4 cup of solution in each jar). Add glitter or sanding sugar to each light-colored icing jar for a colorful variety of gold.

Add more borax if you would like the icing to dry harder. You can also add food coloring, which will not affect how it dries. Let your creation dry completely before enjoying!

Step-By-Step Guide: How To Make Gold Buttercream?

Gold buttercream is an extremely easy and fun way to make a beautiful bright yellow-gold color on your cake. Use this stunning decorating technique to make a wedding, birthday or baby shower cake extra special!

So here’s what you’ll need:

• A stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
• A spatula
• A bowl
• White or yellow buttercream icing (store-bought or homemade)
• Gel paste food coloring Gold luster dust

* A note on the amount of food color: If you’d like a richer color, add more. This is a very subjective topic, so play around with it and see what you like.

Step-By-Step Guide:

Step 1. First, pour your white or yellow buttercream into a bowl. If you need to, add all the ingredients in order to have enough for later.

Step 2. Now comes the fun part! Just go ahead and mix it on medium-high speed until everything is combined well, smooth, and creamy looking.

Step 3. Get out your gel paste food coloring and add in what you think will make a nice gold color.

Step 4. Mix that all together for 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed until your buttercream is evenly colored and its texture has lightened somewhat (the color should be noticeably brighter).

Step 5. Break out the luster dust! This stuff is really fun. Just add in about 1/2 teaspoon at a time, mixing it in to give the buttercream a pearly sheen; avoid overdoing it. Remember, when using luster dusts or pearlized sugars, this is just an accent: these products by themselves won’t offer any flavor and shouldn’t be tasted alone–instead they’re there to enhance and complement other flavors already present.

Step 6. Now this is a good point to stop and test it out! Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, whatever you think would be a nice place to use some buttercream with gold dusting–give it a try and see how the flavor and color looks. You can always add more luster or gel paste food coloring as needed. And if the color isn’t as bright as you’d like, keep in mind that as your mixture sits it will darken somewhat, so don’t worry too much about getting the color perfect now.

Step 7. Let’s talk storage now: because of its high fat content from all those yummy butter and shortening and sugars and such, this kind of frosting does not freeze very well. Just be aware that the texture may change slightly, and it won’t look as rich or stay as creamy-looking once thawed. So this is best enjoyed at room temperature! If you need to make ahead for any reason, try freezing leftovers in small batches of about 1/2 cup each; thaw before reusing.

Step 8. Of course, if you’d rather not make your own gold buttercream but want to use some on a cake or cupcakes anyway, there are more than enough brands out there ready to go! You can find these in most larger grocery stores or baking supply stores, along with online retailers. There’s even premade mixes available to create the effect easily–just follow the directions on the box to tint your buttercream gold!

Step 9. So that’s it! Gold buttercream is really that simple to make. It’s a fun technique, and if you give it a try, be sure to share pictures with us so we can see how beautiful your cake turned out!

What Are The Different Types Of Cake Gold Icing?

There are several different grades of edible cake gold icing available for purchase. All of these products have their own unique purposes and are used in different ways to achieve the desired effect. Cake gold icing is available in either block, paste or powder form.

Cake Gold Icing Block

The most popular form of cake gold icing is in a block which can be microwaved and molded into various shapes. The most common use for this type of edible product is for molding into lettering and numbers for cake decorating. The block is softened in the microwave, then it is pressed into a plastic stencil that has been placed on top of the cake. Once the shapes are removed from the stencil, they can be attached to your cakes with buttercream or other icing.

Cake Gold Icing Paste

Cake gold icing paste is most commonly used in smaller plastic tubes which can be attached to an icing tip. The paste comes out of the tube in a long strand that can be wrapped around cakes or other confections for trimming or piping. This type of cake gold icing is also available in squeeze bottles, though it is harder to control.

Cake Gold Icing Powder

The final type of cake gold icing is a powder which is made from sugar and milk solids. This product can be mixed with water or other liquids in order to create edible “golden paint” for decorating use. The powder can also be used to make stencils that are placed on top of cakes. When the cake is finished, the stencil can be lifted away to reveal the design underneath. This type of product is most often used by professionals since it gives them great control over their designs.

Cake Gold Icing Stencils

One of the greatest uses for edible cake gold icing is creating detailed stencils that are placed directly on top of your cakes. The shapes are cut out with a blade or laser allowing you to create professional quality designs without any complicated equipment. They are created using food safe plastic which can easily be transferred from one cake to another. Most edible stencil products come in packs which allow you to create multiples at once, allowing you greater creative freedom when decorating.

Cake Gold Icing Stencils are an easy way to create professional quality decorations with little effort or expertise. These stencils are cut out of food safe plastic which is placed on top of your cakes. The shapes can be lifted away after the cake is decorated, revealing the design underneath. This allows you to create detailed designs quickly and easily without any special skills or equipment.

What Is Cake Golden Writing?

Cake golden writing is a type of edible cake gold icing that is designed specifically for use in writing messages on top of cakes and other baked goods. Cake golden writing comes in either block or tube form which can be squeezed onto the surface of your confections to decorate them with special messages or logos. This product is most often used when writing short messages or quotes on cakes for weddings, birthdays and other special events.

How Do I Make My Own Cake Golden Writing?

Cake golden writing can be made at home with the following ingredients:

• Honey or corn syrup
• Water
• Sugar
• Milk powder

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium saucepan until they are mixed thoroughly. Slowly add the water and honey to your pan while constantly stirring to prevent any sticking. As soon as the mixture begins boiling set it aside and allow it to cool completely before using it. The finished cake golden writing can then be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator until ready for use.

How Do I Use Cake Golden Writing?

Cake golden writing is most easily applied to cakes and other confections using a plastic stencil which you place on top of your baked goods. The stencil allows you to create incredibly detailed, sharp designs in any color you wish so that your cakes always look professional and beautiful. Once the stencil is in place, simply spoon some cake golden writing over it and watch as your design appears beneath the layers of icing! After decorating your cake with golden writing, add another layer or two of decoration such as fondant figures or piped borders to make the design pop off the surface of your confectionery delight.

Gold Icing Coloring (Confectioner’s Glaze, Soluble Gold) 

Gold Icing Coloring is a shiny, resinous coating made by boiling down and evaporating the sap of some form of Ash tree (most commonly Black Ash), and may also appear in some Succulents and Palms. Although it has some ingredients that humans can ingest (such as ash from the Sugar Maple), gold icing is not meant to be eaten at all.

Gold Icing Coloring, like many food colorings, was discovered when someone noticed that an animal would lick or eat something (specifically trees) that contained this special “paint”. People began to experiment with finding out what else could give you the same color you got from licking this tree, and they realized it could be boiled down and made into a tasty (yet extremely poisonous) glaze.

People often use Gold Icing Coloring as decoration for items such as cakes, donuts, candies, and even on some classic cookies. Just like most food coloring dyes, gold icing will mix with any water-based solution (such as milk), but the mixture must never be allowed to boil or else it will dissolve into nothingness.

Gold Icing has been known to help temporarily relieve symptoms of depression, hunger pains, and other cravings related to lack of sleep and nutrition. Many people around the world also use Gold Icing as a way to improve their mood.

Gold Icing Coloring is also an effective insecticide, which can be used in the garden to fend off pesky bugs that want to eat your prize roses. It will not affect any other plants or animals when used correctly, and can even be used inside safely (as long as you keep it away from food and water).

Remember: Gold Icing Coloring is very poisonous and should never be eaten under ANY circumstances! It may look tasty and give you a temporary high, but it will quickly destroy your body, mind, and soul if you eat even the smallest amount. Also remember that there’s no such thing as too much of this stuff; one dose won’t kill you but several doses could easily send you into shock.

Do NOT eat this stuff!!!

If you want to try Gold Icing Coloring for yourself, there are many resources on the internet that can help. Just remember not to follow any of the below instructions without proper adult supervision and permission first!

Note: The following is just one method or recipe for making Gold Icing Coloring; it is by no means the only way this product can be made/obtained.

• 1 part powdered ash (tree bark, usually Sugar Maple)
• 1 part baking powder
• Water as needed (sometimes none at all)
• Vegetable oil (as needed, roughly around 1 Tbsp. per ounce of mixture)
• Sugar (as desired)

Step-By-Step Guide:

Step 1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind down the ash or bark so it is as fine as possible. When you are done there should be no visible chunks of anything left. If you have access to an actual sifter, run your powder through that for best results. Otherwise just use the back of a spoon or something similar to break up any clumps that might have formed during this process.

Step 2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using only enough water to make it into a paste/dough-like consistency (you can also add vegetable oil at this time). You do not want your mixture too dry or it will crumble apart, but if it’s too wet then the ash will not provide a proper consistency. You should end up with a dark gray or black dough-like ball that’s firm yet pliable.

Step 3. Prepare a surface for working with your mixture by lightly dusting it with powder ash. This will help you separate the finished product from any oil, water, or other liquids as you work with it later on.

Step 4. Use your hands to flatten out the paste directly onto whatever surface you used in Step 3 (e.g., newspaper). If your paste is strong enough and thick enough, you can even peel off any excess and use it on another project/surface instead of wasting anything! Don’t worry too much about how small your pieces turn out; if you have a lot of paste leftover, just store it in an air-tight container and use it later.

Step 5. Place your flattened dough pieces into a preheated oven between 200 – 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 – 4 hours. Keep a close eye on them as they near the end of their cooking time to ensure that they do not burn! This process is sometimes referred to as “baking” or “drying out” your Gold Icing Coloring. Make sure NOT to turn on any other heat source during this process because doing so may damage the oven’s temperature gauge and cause it to be off from what you set.

Step 6. When your dough pieces are done baking, turn off the oven but leave the dough inside. Allow it to cool down with the oven door closed for at least an hour before removing your Gold Icing Coloring pieces.

Your finished product should be smooth but still have a subtle grainy texture to it, and will feel similar to many thin papers you’re probably already familiar with. If your mixture gets extremely hot during baking, then some of its ingredients may burn and create small charred spots on its surface; this does not affect the efficacy or safety of using Gold Icing Coloring though! Think of those as “flavor notes”.

You can now use your Gold Icing Coloring to paint over surfaces such as modeling chocolate, wax paper, soap, candles, etc., or even roll thin sheets out onto real gold sheets. Keep in mind that the greater a surface’s level of detail is, the better coverage you will have with your Gold Icing Coloring.

Metallic Gold Icing: how to make & use it!

This is a tutorial on how to make metallic gold buttercream/icing.

You need:

• Buttercream icing in white, grey, or brown – whichever you prefer (I personally prefer the taste of brown)
• A hand mixer or stand mixer with dough hooks – OR something that can work as a dough hook
• Ziplock bags – freezer friendly type, sandwich size works best
• Plastic Spoons – preferably disposable ones, they hold up better under heat
• A double boiler set-up. If you don’t have one large enough to fit your metal mixing bowl, try using a smaller pot and place it on top of a larger one. It WILL work!

Optional:

• Metallic dusting powder in gold – for “dusting” your finished product
• Cake decorating brush

Directions:

Step 1: Start by placing your mixing bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. You can do this with or without a double boiler set up, it will work either way! Add some buttercream icing inside your metal bowl and mix it together with a hand mixer or dough hooks. It’s going to get really hot so be careful not to burn yourself! At first the buttercream will look crumbly and then eventually start looking more smooth & creamy as you continue to beat it.

Note: Once this is done, I usually leave the product in the metal bowl over night to let excess water evaporate from the bottom of your bowl. Don’t leave it too long, otherwise at best your icing will be ruined and at worst you’ll have a nasty puddle of water in your bowl.

Step 2: When you’re just about ready to take the metal bowl off the pot, it’s time to add some metallic dusting powder! Dusting powder can also be found at cake decorating shops. Add a small amount into the mix and then continue to beat for a few minutes longer. You’ll notice that as you beat, bubbles will start forming and there might even be steam coming from your mixture due to all of the excess water boiling up. Just keep stirring! After mixing for another 5-10 minutes (it might look like it’s never going to come together but trust me, it will!) your icing should come together and become smooth & creamy looking once again with no discernible particles of metallic dusting powder.

Step 3: Now it’s time to transfer your product into some ziplock freezer bags! Ziplock has started making these really convenient sandwich size bags that are perfect for icing! If you can’t find them, use the regular gallon sized bags but make sure you get as much air out as possible before sealing your bag closed. You’ll want to work quickly at this stage because if you allow too much time for your mixture to cool down, the metallic dust will clump up & disappear into the icing. So seal that bag shut right away and then just knead it against itself until everything comes together into a consistent color! Then set it aside on some parchment paper or wax paper while you repeat the same steps for your other colors. You can really use whatever color(s) you want, so feel free to mix blue & yellow or red & green if you’d like!

Step 4: Once all of your icing has been colored and bagged up, it’s time to let them chill in the freezer! I usually leave mine overnight, but about 6-8 hours should be good enough. The longer they sit in the freezer, the more consistent their color will become once you remove them from their bags. If done correctly, these icings should have a nice smooth texture with no particles of metal dust visible whatsoever !

When ready to use, simply cut off the corner of your ziplock baggie and squeeze out as much icing as possible. You don’t want to cut too large of a hole because you’ll end up with a sticky mess everywhere! If you’re doing lines, use a decorating brush to sweep back and forth across the surface of whatever you’re writing on. And that’s it! You can leave your finished product in a dry place for a little bit, but if you want to keep them around for awhile I’d recommend storing them in an airtight container inside the freezer so they don’t pick up any funky smells from other food items.

 

FAQs

Why is my gold icing turning green?

Gold icing takes on a greenish cast when the pigment comes in contact with aluminum. This can be prevented by not allowing cakes to cool on aluminum pans or foil, and by spraying non-stick surfaces with a vegetable oil spray. You should also keep your materials and tools free of grease and wrapped in plastic until you’re ready to use them. It’s important not to let this happen, as it will likely result in discoloration of the finished product (and don’t think that your customer won’t notice!)

Should I mix all of my dry ingredients together before adding any water? 

Yes – Cake Gold Icing may be stored for up to three months if kept at room temperature and mixed before each use.

I added way too much water to my icing! Now what?

This is a problem that you will more than likely run into at some point, as it’s practically impossible to measure the exact amount of water needed every time. Don’t worry—just stir in more confectioners’ sugar until the consistency is right, adding a few drops of water if necessary.

Why doesn’t my Cake Gold Icing recipe make enough to cover a cake? 

Cake Gold Icing recipes make approximately 2 cups or 16 ounces (1 lb). You can stretch this recipe slightly by mixing up less batch and working with small batches from that point forward, but it will be very difficult not impossible to replicate finished products in larger quantities.

How long will my Cake Gold Icing last in the refrigerator? 

Unused, tightly covered Cake Gold Icing can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three months. Let it come back to room temperature before using.

I’ve noticed that my red confectioners’ sugar is turning pink! What happened?!

It’s likely that your red sugar has been contaminated with vanilla extract, which contains alcohol—confectioners’ sugars are only about 3-4% cornstarch and contain little-to-no natural moisture so they are very sensitive to even small amounts of added liquid ingredients. Try buying a new bottle of red food color and adding it just one drop at a time until you achieve the desired color.

How important is it to sift the powdered sugar before adding it to Cake Gold Icing? 

Whether or not you sift your icing sugar will have a more significant effect on texture than on taste. If your Cake Gold Icing turns out gritty, try sifting your icing sugar first for an extra-smooth result.

Can I use canned milk instead of water when making Cake Gold Icing? 

No – canned milk may curdle and ruin the consistency of the finished product. Milk should never be used in place of water when preparing Cake Gold Icing.

Should my egg whites be at room temperature when whipping them up for Cake Gold Icing? 

Room-temperature egg whites whip to greater volume than cold whites. To quickly warm up eggs, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes before whipping.

How can I tell when my Cake Gold Icing is ready to use? 

Cake Gold Icing is ready to use when peaks begin to form and hold their shape (the icing should not be runny). If your finished product doesn’t seem thick enough, it may need to sit longer. If your Cake Gold Icing turns out too stiff, simply stir in more water one drop at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

Why does my blender make such a racket when blending my Cake Gold Icing? 

It’s likely that the metal blades are striking the sides or bottom of the blender jar. This is not a sign that anything is wrong with your Cake Gold Icing—simply turn off the blender and check for clumps around the blades before turning it back on.

How should I get my Cake Gold Icing from my bowl onto a cake? 

Cake Gold Icing can be easily transferred from a bowl to a cake using an off-set spatula or bench scraper. Simply coat your spatula or bench scraper in shortening, wipe it clean, then scoop up some icing and spread it over the surface of your cake while holding it at a 45 degree angle.

How do I get my Cake Gold Icing to look smooth on top of a cake? 

Flooding out your Cake Gold Icing before smoothing down the surface will result in a cake with a finished look. Fill in any gaps between the edges and side of your cakes using an off-set spatula or bench scraper, then smooth over the entire surface with strokes that begin at the top center of your cake and move out to the bottom edge.

Which Icing Decorations Work Best?

Cake gold writing is most commonly used when decorating with stencils because it can be applied directly over them without breaking or smudging the design underneath. The stencil separates ingredients while keeping your work neat and clean, allowing you to create particularly intricate designs which look professionally done! Golden writing icing is often chosen over other types of edible decoration because of its simple application process which doesn’t require special tools or equipment.

What Can Cake Golden Writing Be Used For?

Cake golden writing can be used to decorate many different kinds of baked goods and confections including cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies and other sweet treats. As long as your item is made out of frosting or fondant it can be decorated with edible gold writing! This makes cake golden writing an excellent option for birthday parties, weddings, baby showers or any other celebration where you wish to make a special impression on your guests.

How Long Does It Take To Make Edible Icing Gold Decorations?

Most cake golden icing decoration products are very quick and simple to make because they require no actual cooking or baking! Simply measure the dry ingredients into a sauce pan and combine them until they are well mixed. Add your water and honey to the mix next, making sure that you do so slowly so as not to create too many bubbles or foam, then remove the mixture from heat once it begins boiling. Allow it to cool completely before using it so that your cake golden writing will be smooth and creamy without any lumps!

What Is The Difference Between Cake Golden Writing And Gold Glitter?

Edible gold glitter is an edible decoration which can be used in addition to icing decorations such as cake golden writing or fondant figures. The difference between the two items is that glitters are small, sand-like particles which are sprinkled over food for decorative while feeding gold writing products are thicker in consistency and can be drawn over icing with a plastic stencil.

What Icing Decorations Can Be Used With Cake Golden Writing?

Any kind of edible decoration is compatible with cake golden writing! This is what makes the icing so great because you can choose to use it either on its own or with fondant decorations, marzipan figures or piped borders. The golden color will always match any additional design that you create making it the perfect complement for your special occasion cakes.

 

Conclusion

The best way to make gold colored icing is by adding a few drops of yellow food coloring and some chocolate syrup. This will give the desired hue without altering the flavor or texture of your recipe. If you want a more intense color, add a little bit more yellow dye or chocolate sauce until you get the perfect shade of metallic gold for your cake decorating needs!