Nature’s Rainbow in Oil-Based Bakery Applications: Icings, Frostings, and Chocolate Decoration

As a source of indulgence, bakery products have the opportunity to break the everyday monotony, and perfect any “me time” or celebration with others. Playing with textures and colors is a common way to help cakes, cookies, or cupcakes stand out while elevating the sensory experience. For example, colorful decorations can signal flavor profiles and differentiate limited edition or seasonal offers.

Meeting consumers’ growing interest in natural and familiar food ingredients, coloring foods has a significant advantage in creating enticing products. Finding the most suitable coloring solution enables developers to launch naturally stunning products while avoiding technical challenges. However, working with coloring from natural sources requires expertise. Let’s look at some factors and examples worth knowing when formulating with plant-based food coloring in bakery decorations.

Oil and Water Don’t Mix?

We all heard the saying that oil and water don’t mix. However, most people don’t know that solubility has a considerable role in the success of natural colorings in food and beverages. For example, botanically sourced red colors based on radish and beetroot, which are usually water-soluble by nature, would normally be difficult if not impossible to mix into applications with no water– only oil or fat, like cake frostings. At the same time, shades of orange and yellow, like turmeric, are more commonly oil-soluble, causing some challenges when applied in water-based applications like beverages or water-based icings.

When an oil- or water-soluble natural color is utilised in an application that is not compatible, there are several risks:

What kind of process can enable the usage of coloring foods in both oil- and water-based applications? Two or more liquids normally immiscible (unblendable) can be mixed by creating an emulsion. In this process, one liquid is dispersed through the other via small droplets, resulting in a homogenous mixture. Sensient’s Advanced Emulsion Technology (AET™) optimises the solution and transforms it into a stable water- or oil-soluble and dispersible version. With AET™ it is possible to create a rainbow of stable, homogeneous solutions providing standardised and perfect color results in the final product.

Liquid Solutions for Bakery Decorations

Compound coatings, chocolate decorations, frostings, and fillings are prime examples of oil-based applications where a standard water-soluble color would not be the best choice. So how can developers unleash nature’s full rainbow in oil-based applications?

Micronized Powder Solutions for Bakery Decorations

Colorful frosting and decorations are often combined or laid on top of each other for an eye-catching look. When there is a colored layer on top of another, the color might migrate. In the case of two layers with the same phase, one can bleed into another like a colorful water-based icing decoration or writing on a birthday cake into the water-based white surface below. Or, as you can see below an oil-soluble color can bleed into a fat-based surface due to the affinity and moisture of the coloring contained in the icing.

Although the color bleeding might not be visible immediately, developers can have peace of mind with Sensient’s micronized dispersion range while achieving vibrant shades naturally.

Due to the lack of bleed, developers can achieve more vibrant and stronger colors by increasing the amount of coloring. Using Sensient’s micronized dispersion products on coloring foods and natural colors can benefit different fat-based decorations or white chocolate-based chips, often used in cakes, cookies, and other bakery items for a unique look.

If you have any questions regarding natural coloring solutions or you are facing some development challenges, feel free to reach out and request a consultation with our technical experts. Would you like to try our liquid or powder products for your fat-based application? Request a sample