Sugar paste icing is a sweet, edible sugar dough, typically made from sucrose and

glucose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, u ...

. It is sometimes referred to as sugar gum or gum paste. Though the two are both used in cake decorating, sugar paste differs from

fondant icing Fondant icing, also commonly referred to simply as fondant (, from the ), is an icing used to decorate or sculpt cakes and pastries. It is made from sugar, water, gelatin, vegetable fat or shortening, and glycerol. It does not have the textur ...

in that it hardens, rather than retaining a soft consistency, making it ideal for creating solid, sculpted decorations that can later be attached to a cake by other means. By contrast, the soft and malleable qualities of fondant icing make it softer and more ideal for covering cakes entirely.

Production

Sugar paste is produced both commercially and domestically, with commercial sugar paste holding a number of advantages that homemade sugar paste does not; commercial varieties of sugar paste can be stored for up to a year, is typically easier to manipulate and shape than homemade varieties, and can be bought in a pure-white colour, which is difficult to recreate at home.

History

Evidence for the use of sugar paste in various settings dates back to at least the 16th century. The first sweets to go into the first Christmas crackers were made from sugar paste, and would be stamped with words and short phrases.

References

External links

Cake Decorating - how to ice a cake with sugarpaste (fondant) by Cake-Links
(video) {{confection-stub Cake decorating Confectionery