Can anyone tell me the difference between fondant and gumpaste? I've used fondant to make some figures and to cover cakes but what's the difference and when would you use gumpaste instead of fondant? I've also heard of people using 1/2 fondant and 1/2 gumpaste to make figures...why is that?

Thank you in advance for any help you can give, I've never known the difference in the two.

Thanks a bunch!!

Gum paste dries real fast. You can't cover a cake in it. The reason people use both is because fondand doesn't dry so fast. It gives you more time to work with it before drying out. People use gumpaste for figures and sugar flowers, its preference. There are different types of gumpaste too just as there is fondant.

HTH,
K

They start out basically the same....
Fondant is similar to pie dough only you use powdered sugar instead of flour I will dry hard on the outside but remain soft underneath especially on a cake.
Gumpaste is made in one of two ways: make a batch of royal icing and add Tylose (or CMC) to it (Nic Lodge's method/recipe) OR, add Tylose or Wilton'sGumTex to fondant (knead it in).
Tylose (a brand name of synthic(sp?) CMC I believe) gives the fondant stretch and quick drying abilities.
GP dries super hard. Flowers made from gp, tho edible, would be like eating egg shells. W/o gums added (Tylose or similar) you would not be able to roll it super thin to make realistic flowers.
Most people use a 50/50 mix of gp & fondant to make figures. It give you the hardness/drying many figures need but the fondant slows the drying time so you can work on them.

Thank you so much for the help!!! Once again you all answered my questions!

Thanks a bunch!!

How much Gumtex would you knead in to fondant?