[header] How to make black icing [title] Buy or make your icing. [step] Unless your heart is set on vanilla, go with a chocolate icing. Starting with a brown-colored icing means you have to use less dye to achieve a black hue. 
[substeps] You can still start with a white icing, but you will probably have to add flavoring later to cover the bitterness of the dye. You can dye most icing--including buttercream, cream cheese, or royal icing--black by following these instructions.