The Difference In Fondant And Gumpaste
Decorating By dreamcakes Updated 8 Oct 2007 , 12:33am by tcturtleshell
how do you decide what to use fondant for and what to use gumpaste for?what i mean is some people for example when they make bows they may use gumpaste , or some use fondant , whenever i use fondant for my bows ( i have never used gumpaste) they crack and look awful , can someone give me a solution to the problem. and one more question when placing fondant on a cake whether it's just accents or fondant itself how do you give it some kind of sheen , so the cake won't have like the white residue on it from cornstarch or powdered sugar. and last but not least when applying fondant does the cake surface need to be as smooth as possible and should the buttercream dry before adding fondant or not, and when adding fondant accents what do you use to make them stick. thanks for all advice!
Fondant is frosting used to cover cakes that have already been frosted with buttercream or in some countries, covered with marzipan. The underlayment HAS to be smooth for a nice smooth look on the fondant.
There are several ways to get rid of the dry look from cornstarch or powdered sugar. You can use a soft brush to dust off the cake, you can "polish" the fondant with another piece of fondant, or use an air brush to spray on some type of luster dust. The last one is up for question as to whether it is safe to use on cakes. If the label says that it is non-toxic, then it is not likely to cause any problems. Usually this is used only on competition cakes that are not going to be eaten. The stuff costs a fortune!
Gumpaste works better for bows and other decorations added to the cake. It sets up faster and is a little less susceptible to humidity. It can also be rolled thinner for a nicer looking bow.
I hope I answered your questions. If not, please feel free to keep asking.
Michele
Sugarflowers, thanks sooo much!!! for your response , i have been waiting for hours to hear from someone. your advice helps alot , thanks again!
Joanne
I've been wondering the same thing. 
I've recently started doing more with fondant but have never done anything with gum paste. Is there a "rule of thumb" about when you should use one or the other? I don't think you would cover a cake with gum paste, but as far as decorations and such go, is fondant better for some things and gum paste better for others?
Here is a link to Baking 911 that can explain the difference between the two. I hope this helps you.
http://www.baking911.com/decorating/cakes_gumpaste.htm
I started using gumpaste for my flowers back in April & let me tell ya'll that I love the stuff! I like the way it can roll very thin & doesn't crack. To keep it from hardening just keep it covered tightly with saran wrap & put it in a zip loc bag. I also rub crisco all over it. I use Satin Ice Gum Paste. I like it way more the Wilton. Wilton's hardens too fast.
I don't think gumpaste is for covering cakes. I'm sure it's just for flowers & decorations on your cakes.
keep the responses coming yall!! I love to keep learning!!!!
Dreamcakes
I only use fondant for covering the cake. I use gumpaste for most everything else. I will use fondant for cut-out decorations (flowers, squares, etc.). Gumpaste for everything else. It has a much better texture, can be rolled out very thinly for things like petals.
Gumpaste also dries harder and faster. When gumtex is added to gumpaste, it also dries sturdier. What I mean by this is that your flowers are less fragile. You won't lose a petal as easily if flowers bump into each other. I have found that fondant flowers will break more easily.
I've never added gumtex to my gumpaste. I should give it a try. My flowers are very fragile. They are very thin, so I know that that is part of the problem, but, boy, do I hate the sound of one breaking in the car!
Michele
I add gumtex to my fondant but not gumpaste. I didn't know that gumtex made the flowers sturdier. I thought it was to make fondant harden faster. Learn something new everyday.
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