Gum paste
Flower paste , also under the English name gum paste known, is a special sugar mass which is used for producing sugar decorations. The elastic paste hardens faster than the similar fondant .
term
The edible modeling clay is preferably used to recreate flowers and blossoms, which is where the term gum paste comes from.
Manufacture and use
Gum paste consists mostly of sugar and water. In addition, gum paste often contains other ingredients such as vegetable fat or thickeners . Industrially produced gum paste often contains carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC for short, E466) and protein. These two ingredients are very important for the quality of the gum paste. CMC acts as the main binder. Alternatively, you can also find xanthan (E415) and tragacanth (E413) as binders . The protein gives the paste the necessary elasticity. Furthermore, the protein ensures that the gum paste becomes firm and stable in the air after a relatively short time.
Gum paste in the cake decoration
Due to its high elasticity, gum paste is particularly suitable for filigree edible decorations and is therefore particularly popular with cake decorators and confectioners . The gum paste is kneaded briefly before processing and thus made supple. The slightly stretchy paste can be rolled out very thinly to reproduce even the finest petals. Since the gum paste hardens very quickly, it has to be processed relatively quickly.
Coloring gum paste
Gum paste can be easily colored with special food coloring . For this purpose, the use of paste colors with a low water content is recommended. Due to their high water content, liquid food colors ensure that the paste loses its original strength and is difficult to process. In order to achieve particularly natural-looking color effects and gradients, special food coloring powder is used, which can be applied to the slightly moistened surface of the gum paste with a brush.
Alternative to ready-made gum paste
For simple flower modeling or decorations, commercially available fondant can also be used as an alternative to ready-made gum paste, in which a binding agent such as B. has kneaded CMC or tragacanth .