Way Beyond Cakes by Mayen

Fondant & Gumpaste TIPS

FONDANT

aka Sugarpaste , is simply a confection used for decorating and covering cakes-- made up of sugar, gelatin, glycerine mostly. It can be bought ready made and comes in various colors - and can be home made by using marshmallows.

COMMON BRAND NAMES:

Satin Ice
Bakels
Wilton
Choco Pan

SHELF LIFE : it depends on the brand- when you buy it- but usually, they say that as long as it is kept in an airtight container, it can last up to a year.

Homemade fondant however-- has a much shorter shelf life. I wouldn't make it and keep it for a long time. This is because it messes up the texture for me. I usually make it and use it in a couple of hours. I have read online that it stays fresh to a week.Some refrigerate it and just microwave it later to soften it.

REFRIGERATING THE CAKE AFTER THE FONDANT HAS BEEN LAID ON IT:
BAD IDEA!
This is a physics issue more than anything. The whole cake and the fondant gets to cool - too much -- and when brought out, condensation happens and droplets of water will form on the fondant surface.
You will end up with a sweaty cake and a sticky mess.

DAYS THE CAKE CAN STAY OUT OF THE FRIDGE BEFORE SERVING:
Most of my research says 2 days. So after the fondant is laid on it, the countdown starts. This is mainly for show purposes since you dont want to put the cake back in the fridge bec it will sweat like crazy later on. SO after the event--and there are leftovers- they can surely refrigerate that and lengthen the cake's life.

GUMPASTE

aka Modelling Paste is used mainly for making figures and models. It dries faster, it is eaily moldable and will retain it's shape better while you wait for it to dry.

COMMON BRAND NAMES

Wilton Gumpaste
Satin Ice

CHEAPEST WAY TO GET IT - MAKE IT !

Others make it from scratch , but my attempts to make it that way did not yield comparable results to ready made gumpaste

The most economical way to make it is to add TYLOSE powder or CMC to fondant. The general ratio is 1 tsp to a pound but this will vary-- if i need it to dry faster I just add more.

GUMPASTE ISSUES:

Drying - always keep gumpaste wrapped in cling wrap and stored in a moisture free container; if the gumpaste feels hard, the last resort is to try microwaving it for a few seconds. about 5 seconds at a time. Dont overdo it or it will melt/burn. try rubbing shortening on it before you microwave it.

Cracks on gumpaste - while working with gumpaste, if you feel that there are some drying cracks on it, it needs shortening. knead on shortening for a few seconds and the consistency will change considerably!

Taste- gumpaste , for me, should not be eaten. It is considered EDIBLE but will have dried so much by the time it is served and would not really taste good. The role of gumpaste for me is to add art to an ordinary thing as cake... so use this tool as another way to spruce up your usual cake.

Way Beyond Cakes by Mayen

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