Okay! I asked someone a few days ago if Gumpaste was edible...and they said it is, but it dries rock hard and it would probably break a tooth. So my question is why do you use Gumpaste for decorations if it's not edible. I'm still new at this and my goal is to keep all the plastic off the cakes and make it all edible. Please share with me your experience with Gumpaste.

Cindy

Gumpaste is edible - that doesn't mean it tastes good, however. You can't make those gorgeous flowers and soften edges of petals and so many other things without using either gumpaste or fondant. So it satisfies the desire to use only 'edibles' on a cake (which I agree with).

Dragees were always on cakes and I think, at least they used to be technically edible but I always wondered what would happen to my teeth if I bit into them? If you want to stick with only good-tasting edibles, try using modeling chocolate for flowers and accents instead.

I, me, myself, am not able to get the petals as thin with fondant as I am with gumpaste. I am able to get them thin with modeling chocolate but not as thin as with gumpaste. When I get as thin with straight fondant as I do with gumpaste, I wind up with limpy petals...and the humidity has a quicker effect on fondant than on gumpaste especially when trying to get it super thin.

I look at gumpaste like Necco wafers....incredibly hard almost tasteless ...but I still eat them.

Gumpaste is edible, but I can't imagine breaking a tooth on a flower! It will break so easily if I just use my soft paintbrush too hard. However, my gumpaste flowers are wired and should not be eaten. If you are making a plague or figure.. then use the candy clay or fondant as CakeDiva suggested. The only reason I use gumpaste is for getting thin lifelike flowers.

ribbon roses, and other whimsical looking flowers, fondant or modeling chocolate would be ideal for...
bow loops even if given enough drying time...

Gumpaste is also handy when you forget to make a bow for a cake and it's due the next day. Add a little tylose and that sucker is ready to go in a few hours. Gumpaste dries quickly and holds it's shape. It is technically edible but doesn't taste good. (Just like Red Velvet cake IMO. Don't flame me. I just don't like that cake.)

Thank you all so much! I'm wanting to make a big cake for my mother's 76 birthday next week and she loves flowers...so I'll have to try the gumpaste with fondant to see if I like it. I just love CC everyone is so helpful, nice, and PATIENT with us newbies.

cindy

Tootall, you can have my portion!

You can use a mixture known as 50/50 - which, just as it sounds, is 50% fondant and 50% gumpaste. That way you get the benefits of both - more "edible" flavoring from the fondant but more stiffness, quicker drying time and ability to roll thinner, more precise designs with the addition of the gumpaste. It dries harder than plain fondant but not completely hard like 100% gumpaste would.

I would think you could because Choco-pan IS fondant but since I have not used that brand personally, I can't say for sure.

I think it gives the ability to have all edible decorations , it gives you a chance to be creative and you can create exactly what you want. I hate the plastic decorations but I have them used in a pinch occasionally...very rarely.

But, I think a lot of it is personal choice. I have a co-worker who loves buttercream but hates fondant. She would be angry if I ever brought her a cake with fondant on it. I think she's going through the change and she gets grouchy. We were just talking about that this morning. So, I would never bring her a cake decorated with fondant. But personally, I don't like any icing anymore, buttercream or fondant, so I just take it off anyway. So it wouldn't matter to me.

So, the great thing is that we do have lots of options in order to make everyone happy.