Gumpaste And Fondant..whats The Difference?

Decorating By SweetGurl1482 Updated 2 Jan 2009 , 9:41am by JanH

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SweetGurl1482 Posted 2 Jan 2009 , 4:26am
post #1 of 5

Hello, i just joined this today. I am very curious and anxious on making some cakes..except i was wondering what is the difference between fondant and gumpaste. When is it best to use gumpaste? Thanks so much.

4 replies
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Sugarflowers Posted 2 Jan 2009 , 5:25am
post #2 of 5

Welcome to Cake Central! You will love this site.

Fondant is the sugar paste that is used to cover cakes. There are many different brands and recipes for it. It's wonderful for decorating but takes a little more effort. Most people try several types before settling with one that works best for them. Wilton fondant does NOT taste good, but it's great for practice and learning the feel of fondant.

Gumpaste is used to make flowers, leaves, figures, and other decorating accents. It has much more stretch so that it can be rolled very thinly. It also dried more quickly and hard. It is edible. Most people won't eat it because it can taste kind of funky. Gumpaste takes a lot of special tools so it can be an expensive venture. It's well worth it though.

Have fun with your new obsession. icon_smile.gif

Michele

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SweetGurl1482 Posted 2 Jan 2009 , 6:09am
post #3 of 5

Ok thank you so much! Where are the best places to order stuff for the gumpaste? are there any particular sites that you like best for ordering? Thanks again, you have helped me out so much

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CakeMakar Posted 2 Jan 2009 , 6:40am
post #4 of 5

One of the easiest most impressive ways to get some gumpaste work in is to make a bow.
Try the article here on CC (Cake Central):
http://www.cakecentral.com/article17-How-to-Make-a-Fondant-Loop-Bow.html

As it's generally not eaten anyways, the Wilton readymade gumpaste is fine to start with and is pretty cheap with a Michaels or Joanne's coupon. You should be able to buy it for $5-$6.

ETA: (Edited to add)
You only need a rolling pin, a ruler, a pizza wheel, and a thick dowel to do this project, most of which you probably have. Just pop it on a square cake and tada!

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JanH Posted 2 Jan 2009 , 9:41am
post #5 of 5

Hi and Welcome to CC, SweetGurl1482. icon_smile.gif

Decoding CC acronyms:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926-.html

Everything you ever wanted to know about making your first tiered/stacked/layer cake:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605188-.html

How to get started w/Gumpaste:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-202181-.html

Fondant and marzipan:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-605566-.html

HTH

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