Tinting

• To transform clear gel into the color you want, use a gel or powder-based food coloring, available at craft and cake decorating stores. Add a small amount of color at a time to the clear piping gel and blend using a figure-8 motion. Don’t whisk in colors, which can create air bubbles. Colors develop over time, so when dyeing difficult colors -- such as black or red -- add color to the piping gel and wait an hour before to see whether the color develops further. Do not use regular food coloring, because the water content can make the piping gel thin, watery and prone to bleeding into other colors.

Writing

• Piping gel is ideal for writing messages or creating smooth designs on a cake. When making designs, use a smaller decorating tip -- such as a No. 2 or No. 3 circle tip -- so that the gel is released in smaller amounts. Use decorating tip No. 1 to write messages. Piping gel is difficult to wash from canvas or reusable pastry bags and can stain if it is tinted. Use a parchment or disposable decorating bag instead.

Decorating Ideas

• Tint piping gel with green and shades of blue, then spread it over the surface of a cake to make it look like water. Use a layer of tinted, blood red piping gel over a Halloween cake to create the effect of real blood. Create an outline for stained glass using royal icing, then fill it in with colored piping gel to create a stained glass window on a cake.

Other Uses

• Piping gel adds stability to whipped cream frosting. Stabilize whipped cream frosting by adding 2 tablespoons of piping gel per pint of frosting for a product that holds its shape. Piping gel -- tinted or not -- is also used as a glaze for baked goods, pastries and tarts. Apply the gel in a thick layer using a pastry brush and let it dry at room temperature. For cake decorating, use piping gel instead of buttercream to position fondant on a cake. Brush a thin layer of piping gel onto the surface of the cake and apply the prerolled fondant. The gel will hold up better than buttercream in humid or hot temperatures.