The Jell-O Food Coloring Hack That Will Come In Handy In A Pinch

When you're baking a cake, adding some food coloring to the frosting can be a fun way to create some colorful decorations for your dessert. But when you're ready to decorate and you discover you're out of food coloring, there may be another ingredient in your cabinet that can be a substitute. 

To add some extra color and upgrade your frosting, Jell-O may be just what you need. This trick works with both homemade and store-bought cans of frosting. To change the hue of your dessert topping, all you'll need to do is add in a few tablespoons of Jell-O powder.

Jell-O contains powdered food dyes, with colors differing depending on the flavor of the powdered mix. Because the dye is mixed in with the other ingredients — like the gelatin and sugar — the concentration won't be as strong as that of actual food dye. However, there is enough of it that it can be used as a substitute for food dyes in a pinch.

When adding the Jell-O into your homemade frosting, you'll want to mix up your desired frosting recipe as usual, bringing it to the correct consistency. Then, measure out one to two tablespoons (depending on how vibrant you want your color) of the Jell-O, and add the powder into the mixing bowl. To prevent any unwanted chunks of powder, you may want to sift the Jell-O through a mesh strainer before adding it in.

Once the Jell-O powder is in the frosting, mix it thoroughly, ensuring that the powder has completely dissolved and that the frosting is a smooth, even color. With just a few tablespoons, the frosting will be very lightly tinted and flavored.

If you want an even bolder color, you could continue adding in more Jell-O until you achieve the desired vibrancy — though the flavor of the frosting will be changed, too, and the fruity flavor will taste stronger as more Jell-O is added. The method is the same for store-bought cans of frosting; simply mix in the Jell-O powder a little bit at a time.

This trick will work best if you don't mind adding a little bit of a fruity flavor to your cakes, of course. The flavor from the Jell-O will be pretty mild, thanks to the low concentration of the powder in the frosting mixture, but a hint of it could still be present and noticeable. So if you plan on adding Jell-O to the mix, you'll want to make sure you use complementary flavors. Make sure to avoid any old, discontinued Jell-O flavors, like celery or coffee.

Using orange-flavored Jell-O in the frosting for a white or vanilla cake could create a creamsicle-flavored dessert. Using strawberry in the frosting for a chocolate cake is also a tasty duo, and you can even top the cake off with some sliced strawberries as a decoration.

The next time you want to add a little bit of a tint to your frosting without using any food coloring, try mixing in a few tablespoons of Jell-O for a fun, lightly fruity flavor.