The key difference between sugar paste and gum paste is that sugar paste doesn’t get hardened and is edible, whereas gum paste gets hardened and is not recommended for eating.
Both sugar paste and gum paste are used in decorating cakes. Sugar paste contains gelatin, which makes it flexible, while gum paste contains tylose powder, which gives it a hard texture. Bakers and cake artists use different types of tools such as rolling pins, cutters and moulds while working with sugar paste and gum paste. They also use edible glues like gum glue adhesive or thinned fondant adhesive to assemble the decorations made using these types of paste.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Sugar Paste
3. What is Gum Paste
4. Sugar Paste vs Gum Paste in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Sugar Paste vs Gum Paste
What is Sugar Paste?
Sugar paste is edible icing used to decorate cakes. This is also known as fondant and ready-to-roll icing. Sugar paste is made mainly from sugar, water, and corn syrup. To this mixture, sugar gums and gelatin too are added. All these are heated and cooled to have a thick consistency.
Sugar paste is sweet, soft and can cover cakes, decorate and give them a smooth and shiny finish. They are also used in making cake toppers. We can also use sugar paste in cupcakes and cookies too. Because of its mouldable nature, it can be used to make almost any elaborate sculpture.
Ways to Use Sugar Paste
- Covering cakes, cookies, cupcakes
- Hand modelling with or without using cutters
Sugar paste can be bought or made at home. It can be made using different colours and flavours. There are different types of sugar paste in the market, including lactose-free, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free and fat-free versions.
One of the main advantages of using sugar paste is that it can be stored and used whenever necessary. Before storing in a plastic container in a cool, dry place, the decorations should be completely dried. Also, opened packs of sugar paste too can be stored in airtight containers without letting them completely dried. The sugar paste should not be frozen or refrigerated.
What is Gum Paste?
Gum paste is a soft, malleable sugar dough. It is frequently used in making detailed, lifelike flower decorations, especially flowers like roses and daisies. It is used in making 3D decorations and sugar bows, as well.
Gum paste is made by using tylose powder and warm water. They are whisked together and refrigerated overnight. Then it turns to a syrup consistency which can be used as a gum paste. This quickly gets completely dried and hardened. Therefore, it should be kept covered even while working. Unused gum paste should be kept covered with a damp cloth while working. But, since gum paste doesn’t easily get torn, it is easy to work with it. Though this is edible, this is not recommended for eating or covering cakes because it gets hardened, almost like porcelain.
What is the Difference Between Sugar Paste and Gum Paste?
The key difference between sugar paste and gum paste is that sugar paste doesn’t get hardened and is edible, while gum paste gets hardened and is not recommended for eating. Moreover, while sugar paste is made of sugar, water, corn syrup, gelatin, gum paste is made of sugar, water, and tylose powder.
The below infographic lists the differences between sugar paste and gum paste in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Sugar Paste vs Gum Paste
Sugar paste is an edible icing used to decorate cakes. It is generally used to cover cakes, cookies cupcakes, make decorations like flowers and cake toppers. Gum paste, on the other hand, is a soft, malleable sugar dough. Though it is edible, this is not recommended for eating since it is very hard. It is used in making intricate designs and flower decorations to decorate cakes. Gum paste should be covered with a damp cloth even while working to prevent it from getting dried and hardened. Thus, this is the summary of the difference between sugar paste and gum paste.
Reference:
1. “Sugar Paste.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Aug. 2021.
2. “Gum Paste Flowers.” Fabulous Cake Decorating Ideas, Recipes and Cake Pictures.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Table, white, rose, decoration, food, pink, dessert, cuisine, cake, birthday cake, icing, party, decorated, fondant, baked goods, wedding cake, torte, sugar paste, buttercream, cake decorating” (CC0) via Pxhere
2. “Gum Paste Daisies” By Kimberly Vardeman (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr