What is the difference between the two? If something calls for gumpaste roses, will fondant ones look the same? I've never used gumpaste before and was wondering if they were interchangable. Thanks.

I think gumpaste dries hard where fondant dries but not to a hard hard consistency (Make sense?) I mix the two when I am making roses, bows, etc.(actaully I use a little more gumpaste) this keeps them from breaking as easily. Fondant by it's self will harden but it takes longer. Hope this helps.

Fondant will dry hard, it just takes longer.

Fondant and gumpaste start out with the same basic ingredients. It is the purpose that it will be used for which determines what other ingredients will be added.

Rolled fondant is used mostly for covering a cake, but can be used, in some instances, for decoration.

Gumpaste is strictly used for decoration. It has a hardener added (either gum tragacanth or CMC/tylose) which makes it harden faster.

Gumpaste is also more flexible than rolled fondant, which makes it more suitable for rolling into thin layers for making flowers.

Some members use a mixture of 50% rolled fondant to 50% gumpaste for their work, especially when modeling figures.

Theresa

Gumpaste has a tylose powder and other gums in it (usually) and it allows you to roll it thinner to get a more realistic looking flower. Fondant in itself will not achieve that and does not contain the gums to have that ability. Also, if you want to model figures, fondant will not hold its shape as well as a gumpaste would.
As far as working with it, the only difference is gumpaste is more elastic than fondant is but other than that, you treat the two the same. (cover when not in use, use cornstarch or crisco on the board to roll it out)

Thanks, that helps me out alot.