Tips For Working with Sugarpaste


There are many different icings that can be used when cake decorating, sugarpaste is popular for its versatility. It can be shaped, moulded, modelled, smoothed, textured, imprinted, coloured...

sugarpaste Sugarpaste is much easier to work with when kneaded and warmed by the natural heat from your hands. Once softened in this way it becomes pliable and smooth.
2 Always use Food Colouring paste colours rather than liquid colours when colouring sugarpaste, modelling paste or flower paste. This is because the good old liquid food colourings most of us have in the back of our cupboards are too wet so they will dramatically change the consistency of the sugarpaste making it far too sticky and wet.
3 When mixing the sugarpaste with the Food Colouring remember the colourings are concentrated so can be quite strong. Using a cocktail stick apply small amounts until you have worked up to the colour you require. If you are preparing large quantities of sugarpaste you may find it easier on your hands to use a food processor to help work in the colour. Should your paste become too soft you can always add a touch of Gum Tragacanth. Give the gum a little time to work and you will find it soon becomes less sticky and easier to handle.
4 Preparing the sugarpaste can be easier using a Cut and Roll Mat or something similar. Their greatest benefit comes from the pre-marked squares and circles which will help you size your sugarpaste accordingly. You can use a little white fat, great for deeper coloured icings, or icing sugar, which is better dispersed using an Icing Dredger/Shaker, to help prevent the sugarpaste sticking to your equipment.!
tip 5 When covering your cake the best results are always achieved using the correct equipment. There are two essential tools that will help you achieve the best results from your sugarpaste: a good quality Acrylic Rolling Pin such as those made by PME and an Icing Smoother.
tip 6 If you want to use Sugarpaste to make sugar flowers you may find it a bit too soft and quite fragile when rolled very thinly
To overcome this you can knead some Tylo (CMC) powder in add strength and to make the sugarpaste easier to handle.
 
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