Baking Question

[circa1978]

My son turns 12 tomorrow. He wanted a red cake on the inside, so I made red velvet - but it's an Among Us cake, so he wants black frosting on the oustide. I'm going to use a chocolate frosting base, then dye the hell out of it.. So red velvet with chocolate frosting. I don't want to fill it with black frosting because this cake is already a festival of food coloring. Should I:

+ fill it with cream cheese frosting (so cream cheese frosting on the inside, chocolate frosting outside)
+ fill it with brown chocolate frosting (black chocolate frosting outside)
+ fill it with white frosting
+ Other (but tell me quickly because it's 8:30 pm where I am and I'm fucking tired)

ETA: There will also be white frosting stars around the cake. Probably. If I don't give up. 

[sproctopus]

Cream cheese/ chocolate

[mofongo]

I never say no to cream cheese!

[TR]

For red velvet? Cream cheese frosting inside for sure.

[tacokick]

I’d do cream cheese for the middle.

If you use black cocoa for the chocolate frosting you won’t have to use as much dye. I’ve seen it craft/baking stores if you have any near you. (If you are baking tonight and frosting tomorrow)

[meanie]

Do whatever is easiest, I would do white frosting to be consistent.

You are a rock star, hope you get to bed soon!

[mala]

Cream cheese!

Also depending on what kind of buttercream you're using, you can melt some of the butter with the food coloring then whip it into the frosting. Helps get a darker color.

[livinitup]

Cream cheese frosting in the middle

[circa1978]

OK, I filled it with cream cheese icing (thank you), and then as I was putting on the third layer half the cake peeled away (having gotten stuck to my cake transferer) so I threw it all in the freezer to maybe firm up before I even attempt a crumb coat and I'm going to try again tomorrow.

And the best I could get with the icing was a sort of metallic gray, even with the butter trick and an entire tube of gel coloring. Maybe it will deepen overnight? Or I'll just go to Michels and get some premade fondant tomorrow and throw it over the top. I don't even know.

[circa1978]

Mar 20, 2023 20:34:20 GMT -5 meanie said:

You are a rock star, hope you get to bed soon!

You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. I still have a few hours of work to do on my grad school class but the presents are wrapped, there are dinner reservations and there will be some sort of cake. It's the thought that counts, right?

[lilac05]

Mar 20, 2023 21:44:57 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

OK, I filled it with cream cheese icing (thank you), and then as I was putting on the third layer half the cake peeled away (having gotten stuck to my cake transferer) so I threw it all in the freezer to maybe firm up before I even attempt a crumb coat and I'm going to try again tomorrow.

And the best I could get with the icing was a sort of metallic gray, even with the butter trick and an entire tube of gel coloring. Maybe it will deepen overnight? Or I'll just go to Michels and get some premade fondant tomorrow and throw it over the top. I don't even know.

If you have time for a quick Michael’s run, just do that. Most of the time, by the time you add enough black to make icing black, it has affected the taste.

[pumpkincat]

You're doing a great job, mama! Be nice to yourself.

[meanie]

Mar 20, 2023 21:46:20 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

Mar 20, 2023 20:34:20 GMT -5 meanie said:

You are a rock star, hope you get to bed soon!

You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. I still have a few hours of work to do on my grad school class but the presents are wrapped, there are dinner reservations and there will be some sort of cake. It's the thought that counts, right?

Holy crap I thought you were just making the cake, you are getting upgraded to super hero now!