Let's get started: Preparing your colored icing

This icing can be used with the American Flag Cake Recipe. To insure a deep red and blue color your icing should be made 24 hours before using. If you prefer to use your own buttercream recipe do not add any eggs, or meringue powder. Any emulsifying agents will not allow the deep color to develop properly.

White Buttercream Recipe: (print recipe)

2/3 cup water
12 cups confectioners sugar (powder sugar)
1-1/4 cups shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring

Mix 4 cups of sugar with water, one cup at a time, beating after each addition at low speed. Alternately add shortening and remainder of sugar. Add salt and flavorings; beat at low speed until smooth. It is best to use a heavy duty mixer.  To avoid powder sugar from going all over cover your bowl with a towel while mixing.

Distribute buttercream into 4 bowls as follows: (Tinting 101)
1 cup - for yellow
1 cup - for royal blue
3 cups - for white
3 cups - for red

Add the color indicated above to the bowl with the proper measurement. Using your small spatula, mix up the colors until all the white disappears and looks smooth and even. Cover and let sit overnight for color development on red and blue.

Note:
If you are using a bottle without a dropper, use a toothpick for getting your color. Open a small hole in the foil using your toothpick. Once you have put the toothpick in your icing DO NOT put it back into the color. This will ruin the color and cause it to become moldy.

Make your parchment cone and cut a hole large enough so 1/4 of your tip comes out through the top but doesn't fall through. Using parchment bags for colored buttercream is recommended, so you can throw them away after use. Otherwise your good bags could be stained from the food coloring.

Using the small icing spatula, spoon about 1 cup of colored buttercream into your parchment cone.

Fold in the corners and roll bag so icing moves toward the tip like toothpaste.

Now you're ready to begin piping or pipe the American Flag Cake Recipe. When you are not using your pastry bag, place them under a wet paper towel, so the tip doesn't dry out.

from pastrywiz.com