The use of gumpaste, which is also printed as gum paste, is increasingly popular for home bakers and is no longer used exclusively by professionally trained cake decorators.
Fondant
Gumpaste is sometimes confused with rolled fondant, but it is different and has different uses. Fondant is a combination of glucose, glycerine, shortening, confectioners sugar, and unflavored gelatin. It is sold as a past that is rolled to the desired thickness and then placed over cakes to create a smooth finish on the cake and a seamless, beautiful cover for the cake.
While fondant can be used for some decorations, it is naturally soft and does not become hard unless left for a significant amount of time in dry air. This means it has limited ability to hold its shape on anything but very slight types of shapes, but it is a good option for flat pieces in the design.
Gumpaste
Gumpaste is made with confectioners sugar, glucose, egg whites, and tylose, and it comes in powdered and pre-made forms. It may have a slightly chemical taste if not a quality product, which is why choosing a brand used by top decorators is important.
Cutting Gumpaste
Gumpaste can easily be rolled and cut, and the best cut using specialized gumpaste cutters. These are similar to cookie cutters in design and come in a wide range of different shapes, sizes, and themes.
Companies supplying equipment to bakeries have the best selection of professional designs in gumpaste cutters. N.Y Cake carries multiple options in themed plunger style cutters as well as cutting wheels.
These cutting wheels are a terrific option in gumpaste cutters and allow for creating designs and free-form elements for unique additions to any cake decoration. With the option for different wheel shapes and the use of ball tools to create differences in thickness for shaping and tapering, these are a must-have addition to any baker’s supply cupboard.
