How to Make Homemade Gum Paste For Cake Decorating

If you want to mold figurines, flowers, or other decorations that will dry quickly, hold their shape, won't wilt in the heat, and can be colored or painted then you may want to learn how to use gum paste. Like a lot of tools that cake decorators use, gum paste can be purchased or it can be homemade.

Not familiar with gum paste? Some people call it sugar paste. You've probably seen it or maybe even eaten it. Ever see or taste hard sugar decorations on a cake? Those were likely made with gum paste.

Here is an easy recipe for gum paste. With it you can let your imagination fly and sculpt decorations for your cakes that will stand the test of time. That comes in handy, especially if you are one of those types that likes to keep mementos of your cakes or special events. Just remember to store your gum paste and gum paste sculptures at room temperature covered in plastic wrap and then store the plastic-wrapped gum paste in an air-tight container.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 pound of confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon of glucose
• 1 teaspoon of lemon extract or clear alcohol
• 3 Tablespoons of warm water
• 1 Tablespoon of Gumtex (purchase from a cake decorating shop, Amazon, Michael's, or craft stores)
• Gel, paste, or powdered food colorings.

1. Purchase the Gumtex and glucose in advance. Both can be purchased from a cake decorating shop, Amazon, Michael's or other craft stores. Wilton is one brand, although there are others. Instead of Gumtex you can use Tylose powder or tragacanth gum.

2. Mix 3/4 of the confectioners sugar and the Gumtex in a bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, mix 3 Tablespoons of warm water, 1 Tablespoon of glucose, and the teaspoon of lemon extract or clear alcohol.

4. Make a well in the sugar mixture and then pour in the liquid mixture. Combine liquid mixture into the sugar mixture. Kneed into a dough. Continue to add the small amounts of the rest of the confectioners sugar until the dough is pliable and will hold its shape. It should not be really sticky.

5. Kneed, kneed, kneed. The mixture will dry quickly. You need to continue to kneed it to get it to the right consistency so you can get it packaged away from the air quickly. The gum paste is easiest to work with if you let it sit for a few days. Double wrap the gum paste in plastic wrap and then store in an air tight container at room temperature.

6. When you are ready to work with the gum paste divide the dough into smaller balls for coloring. You'll notice that the ball of dough is no longer grainy to the touch after sitting for a few days. It should feel smooth and pliable.

7. Cover all of the dough that you are not currently using with plastic wrap. Then store it in an air-tight container.

8. With the small bit of dough you will be working with, use a toothpick, add a small amount of gel or paste food coloring to a small ball of the dough. Kneed until the color is consistent throughout the dough and is of the intensity that you require. If you are using powdered food colorings mix them with a bit of clear alcohol and then add them to the dough in the same manner. Cover the ball of dough with plastic wrap and put it in the air-tight container. Continue to color small batches of gum paste in all of the colors that you will need for your project.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix your gum paste several days before you plan to use it for ease of use.
• Gum paste will store in an air-tight container for several months.
• If you are making an intricate sculpture with gum paste you may want to keep the portions of it that you are not currently working on covered with plastic wrap.
• Add a bit of shortening to your hands to keep the gum paste from drying out.
• Gum paste dries very quickly. Any gum paste that you are not using must be covered in plastic wrap.