Topic Title: Gel vs. Paste Icing Color - What is the difference?
Created On Friday March 13, 2009 2:17 AM
L.A.urbanMommy
Posts: 2
Posted: Friday March 13, 2009 2:17 AM
Hello everyone. I am new to cake decorating (with icing). I have decided to bake a cake for my son's 2nd birthday and was wondering if you could tell me the difference(s) between the Wilton icing paste colors and icing gel colors? The colors needed on this cake that I was thinking about are dark green, light green, brown, white, coral, and possibly a teal blue (it's a character cake). I went online and in stores to check out the Wilton icing colors and I realized that there are two types - gels and pastes (in the little jars) - what is the difference? Thanks so much for ANY help!
mmumsie
Posts: 12520
Posted: Friday March 13, 2009 9:49 AM
Gels will thin you icing further, while the paste food colors won't. Wilton's gels are not meant to be used to color your icing. They and I recommend the paste colors to enhance the icing to the correct color. When paste coloring is added to buttercream, it will darken some as it sits. Good luck!
brownybites
Posts: 52
Posted: Friday March 13, 2009 11:41 AM
I had no idea that they still had the paste colors. I thought they only had gel now. Do they sell the paste colors individually? I don't like the gel at all. After time they dry out and its hard to get them out of the container.
mmumsie
Posts: 12520
Posted: Friday March 13, 2009 1:19 PM
Yes, paste colors come in two sizes. 1/2 oz or 1 oz. The half ounce bottles are in groupings or sets. Where the 1 oz. bottles are sold individually. Many online stores and local craft stores carry the individual and sets.
L.A.urbanMommy
Posts: 2
Posted: Saturday March 14, 2009 4:29 AM
Thank you so much for the clarification re: the gels and pastes and what they do. I know they sell the icing gels in tubes, and those are the ones that are probably for enhancing the icing to correct the colors (I'm assuming). But I am still a bit confused because they also sell "concentrated gel" colors in those little 1/2 oz or 1 oz jars. Are those also considered only colors to enhance the icing like the tubed gels? I was at Michael's and I was about to pick up concentrated paste colors (in a jar), and then I saw another set that said "concentrated gel colors" - also in a jar. To make matters even more confusing, the colors that they offered in the "concentrated gel form," differs from the colors in the "concentrated paste form." So if I want to buy colors from the "gel form" - I can't get some of those same colors in the "paste form." Please help! I'm sorry if these questions sound so elementary - I am new to all this and still trying to figure it all out. Thank you in advance for any help.