Description
Create beautifully colored buttercream frosting using natural dyes from fruits and vegetables, perfect for decorating spring and Easter cupcakes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb (3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1-2 Tbsp beet juice (for pink frosting)
- 1-2 Tbsp carrot juice (for orange frosting)
- 1-2 Tbsp grape juice (for purple frosting)
- 1-2 Tbsp spinach juice (for green frosting)
Instructions
- Cream the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk until a smooth frosting forms.
- Divide the frosting into separate bowls to make the different colors. Adding the fruit/veggie juices will affect the consistency of the frosting so you can add more powdered sugar or reduce the amount of milk to compensate for the added liquid.
- I made small quantities for experimental purposes but you can use the following ratios for any batch size. You can also change the shade of color by adjusting the amount of fruit/veggie juice.
Pink frosting
- Mix roughly 1/4 tsp (1,2mL) beet juice with 2 Tbsp (2 spoonfuls) frosting. (I just used the juice from a can of beets.)
Orange frosting
- Mix roughly 1/2 tsp carrot (2,4mL) juice with 2 Tbsp (2 spoonfuls) frosting.
Green frosting
- Mix roughly 1/2 tsp (2,4mL) spinach juice with 2 Tbsp (2 spoonfuls) frosting.
Purple frosting
- Mix roughly 1/4 tsp (1,2mL) grape juice concentrate with 2 Tbsp (2 spoonfuls) frosting.
Notes
Refrigerate any leftover frosting in a sealed container. The natural dyes provide pastel colors ideal for spring. You may notice a slight flavor from the juices, but it’s generally mild and pleasant. This is a great way to involve kids in the kitchen, letting them experiment with different natural colors.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American