Gum paste and fondant are two highly versatile materials used in cake decorating to achieve various aesthetic and textural effects. Understanding the composition, texture, and use of each can significantly enhance your cake decorating skills. This article aims to provide a comprehensive comparison between these two materials to help you choose the right one for your projects.
Ingredients
Fondant: Primarily made from sugar and corn syrup, fondant can also include glycerin and gelatin, which contribute to its flexibility and pliability. These ingredients give it a smooth and pliable texture, making it suitable for covering cakes for a seamless finish.
Gum Paste: Similar in composition to fondant, gum paste includes additional gum like tylose or CMC, which gives it a firmer and more elastic quality. This ingredient combination allows gum paste to dry harder and hold its shape better than fondant.
Texture and Use
Fondant: Fondant is soft and pliable, making it perfect for creating a smooth finish on cakes. It can be rolled out and draped over cakes, and it is also ideal for simple shapes and decorations. Its primary use is for covering cakes to achieve a visually appealing surface.
Gum Paste: Gum paste is more suitable for intricate decorations. It can be rolled thinner than fondant and holds its shape well when dried. Gum paste is ideal for creating detailed flowers, figurines, and other decorations that require a rigid structure.
Drying Time
Fondant: Fondant remains soft and flexible for a longer period, which makes it easier to work with, but it is less ideal for complex decorations that need to maintain their shape.
Gum Paste: Gum paste dries quickly to a hard finish, making it perfect for delicate decorations that need to maintain their form. This quick drying property also makes gum paste ideal for creating rigid and detailed designs.
Taste
Fondant: Fondant has a generally sweeter taste and is often used to enhance the visual appeal of cakes. It is less likely to be consumed in its entirety because it is primarily used for aesthetics.
Gum Paste: Gum paste is less sweet and is primarily used for decorative purposes. It may not be used for covering cakes due to its less appealing taste to most adults.
Usage and Safety Concerns
Gum paste is a versatile material used mainly for creating intricate decorations. It is generally safe to consume, although some people may avoid eating it due to concerns about the presence of gum tragacanth, an ingredient that has been linked to potential cancer risks. However, this claim is unsupported by scientific evidence, and gum tragacanth is also found in medicinal products, indicating its safety for consumption. Additionally, gum paste is often man-handled during the decorating process, which might deter some from eating it due to potential contamination.
Fondant, on the other hand, is more edible and can be peeled away from the cake when not consumed, allowing guests to remove it if they do not wish to eat it. It may not be suitable for vegetarians or vegans due to the presence of animal gelatin in some varieties. Its primary function is to serve as a canvas for confectionery artists, providing a sweet and non-flavorful base.
In summary, gum paste is best used for detailed and intricate designs that require a hard finish, while fondant is ideal for covering cakes and achieving a smooth finish. The choice between the two largely depends on the specific design requirements and the desired outcome of your cake decorating project.