Step 1

Put the icing sugar, cocoa powder and meringue powder in the mixer and whisk for a few seconds on low speed to get rid of any lumps.

Step 2

Add the water and mix on low speed until combined.

Step 3

Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for 3 to 5 minutes until the icing forms soft peaks.

Step 4

Run a knife through the icing to test the consistency

Step 5

If it takes less than 10 seconds for the gap to close, your icing is too thin. Beat it some more to get it thicker.

Step 6

If it takes longer than 20 seconds for the gap to close, your icing is too thick. Add a few drops of water and mix briefly.

Step 7

Repeat the testing process until the icing is the right consistency.

Step 8

If you are going to use the whole batch for black icing, add the black food coloring directly to your bowl. Otherwise, separate out the icing that you want to be black.

Step 9

Add in a small amount of black gel icing and mix it by hand.

Step 10

If it still looks like a light grey, add a little more black gel and mix again. Repeat until it has reached a dark color.

Step 11

Put some plain white royal icing into a bowl.

Step 12

Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of cocoa powder per cup of white icing and mix thoroughly.

Step 13

Add in the black gel food color a little at a time until you get a darker grey color.

Step 14

If the icing is too stiff, add in a few drops of water to thin it to the consistency you want.

Step 15

Make the recipe as above, omitting the cocoa powder and increasing the mixing time to 5 to 8 minutes. You'll also need to use more black food coloring.

Step 16

Add the food color in a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Step 17

Keep going until your icing is a dark grey color.

Step 18

At a certain point, you'll notice that adding more food coloring doesn't change the color of the icing very much. Stop adding more at this point. It won't make your icing any darker but it is adding more bitter flavor.

Step 19

Combine equal parts of blue, red and green gel food coloring in a bowl. 1 teaspoon of each is a good amount for a small batch.

Step 20

Use a toothpick to spread some of the food coloring on a piece of paper to test the color. Adjust as necessary.

Step 21

Follow the directions from the recipe above to add it to your icing.