Cake Decorating•4 min read
Gel vs. Liquid Food Colours: Why Professional Bakers Never Use Liquid Dye
Why watery liquid supermarket dyes ruin whipped cream, and how concentrated gel pigments yield vivid shades without altering frosting texture.
Table of Contents
1. Water Content & Consistency Breakdown
Liquid food colours are 90% water. To achieve a vibrant red or black, you have to pour tablespoons of liquid, which splits whipped cream, makes fondant sticky, and causes macarons to crack. Concentrated gel colours use glycerine/corn syrup bases with 4x pigment density—a single toothpick droplet is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use gel colour in chocolate?
Water-based gels will seize pure melted chocolate! For chocolate, use specialized oil-based candy colours or cocoa butter colourings.