How can I avoid the bitter taste of red frosting?

First, this is not limited to red, but I hear you. Any colored frosting that has a lot of artifical coloring will possibly have a bitter flavor - red and black are particularly prone to this. So, can you avoid it? Yes, as mentioned above, you can use powdered food colors and avoid the bitterness. Just be prepared to use a lot of powder. Another option is to buy a "no taste" gel food coloring. Both Wilton and Chefmaster offer these. Chefmaster actually has a Tulip Red (not taste) that would be the first I would try! I don't have any personal experience with these but they might be worth a shot!

How to make red frosting without red food coloring?

I would recommend using a natural red food coloring such as beet root juice powder . A natural dye like beetroot powder may not give you the exact true red color you want but there is the benefit of the natural ingredients.

Why does my red frosting look pink?

In short, you haven't added enough red food coloring yet - or you haven't added the correct (ie., gel or powder) red coloring. Follow all of the tips in this post for the BEST red buttercream.

Super Red Buttercream Frosting

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Super Red Buttercream Frosting

Recipe by Rose Atwater

Super Red Buttercream Frosting. Tried and true tips to get really bright red frosting every time. With the right red food coloring and a few good practices, you’ll be able to solve this neverending problem of the pink and coral and not-so-red, red frosting.

Total Time10 minutes
Yield6 cups 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature (434g)
1 cup vegetable shortening* (205g)
7 cups or 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar (454g)
2-4 Tbsp water or milk (15ml)
1 tsp vanilla extract (4ml)
1 tsp butter vanilla (4ml) (optional)
Pink gel food coloring (optional)
Tulip Red gel food coloring (or other options listed in the post)

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Instructions

Add the butter and shortening to the mixing bowl and cream together. Scrape down the sides to be sure that it’s completely mixed together.
Add the vanilla and butter vanilla flavors and mix again.
Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar, a little at a time until completely incorporated. This will take time and might make a mess (unless you use a Bosch Mixer). Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl often. When all the sugar is added, your frosting will be super thick and dry.
At this point, start adding tablespoons of milk or water to “thin” the frosting to the desired texture. I usually use milk, but either works just fine. I make fairly thick frosting to cover and fill cakes and make it slightly thinner to decorate.
If you’re starting with pink, add pink gel coloring and mix until you get a bright pink color.
Add a generous squirt (start with approximately a tablespoon) of red gel coloring to the frosting and mix until well incorporated.
Cover the frosting with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and allow the color to deepen and develop for a few hours or overnight at room temperature.
You can use this immediately or keep it in the frig in an airtight bowl for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen for several weeks. If you’re using it out of the refrigerator, make sure it’s completely thawed and rewhip, adding milk as needed to get the desired texture again.

Equipment

Small Silicone Spatulas

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Bosch Mixer

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Notes

Tips

add a tiny drop (like a dot from the end of a toothpick) of black gel coloring to get a deeper/darker red.
use Americolor Super Red for a darker red
microwave 1/4 cup of the red frosting to melt it and deepen the color, then mix it back into the bowl of buttercream. chill if needed to firm up the consistency.
start with pink frosting to jump-start your red frosting

Prep Time: 10
Category: Dessert
Method: Countertop
Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://rosebakes.com/get-bright-red-buttercream-icing/