Tutorial: What is the Difference Between Fondant and Gum Paste?

I've been asked before what the difference is between fondant and gum paste. Let me just explain a tiny bit.

Well, both fondant and gum paste are made almost purely of sugar. They taste almost exactly the same. So why do we specify when we use fondant and when we use gum paste? Is it just chance?

Here are the two side by side. Gum paste on the left, fondant on the right. Gum paste is harder, stiffer, than fondant. You can actually already see it. Fondant has signs of tearing. Gum paste tends to break apart in chunks.

 Let's start with the gum paste. Gum paste is basically nothing but fondant with some stiffening agents in it that make it firmer and take less time to dry. In fact, you can add tylos powder to fondant (also known as CMC) and you will get a substance similar to gum paste.

 You can roll out gum paste, but it is significantly harder to roll out than fondant, so it is harder to get as thin as fondant.

 The circles I cut out first and then the letters. The letters were really difficult to cut out and took kind of a long time. In the time it took me to cut out the letters from the gum paste, the circles had half-hardened already. That's gum paste. Hardens quickly.

 Unfortunately, it caused the edges of the circles to be difficult to thin to create flower petals. This doesn't always happen. Only when you allow your gum paste to dry too long before creating the flowers.

 I also created a simple model of a bird with few details.

 Then I cut out the same things from fondant. The fondant was so much softer, that the letters did not stick in the cutters like the gum paste letters did.

 The rose turned out perfect.

 So, both materials work similarly. Let's go over the differences.

 The birds. Not a lot of detail on these, but there is a certain gravity-defying element to them. The tails should stand up and the head shouldn't droop. Fondant (pictured left) is softer, so the head and tail tend to droop quickly and must dry a bit before it will stop doing this. This problem doesn't happen with gum paste. Gum paste tends to stay where it is put very well.

 Now, as mentioned earlier, gum paste flowers can be just as beautiful as fondant flowers. In fact, flowers with a gravity-defying element to them tend to work better with gum paste. Just cut out your petals and shape them right away. Don't allow them to dry at all, or you'll end up with this effect. (Gum paste left)

 With letters, it depends on the effect you're going for. The gum paste letters hardened almost right away. This would make it possible to stand up the letters on top of a cake or cupcake. However, if you want the letters to follow a round cake, then you would need the soft fondant letters.

 So, in general, fondant and gum paste are used for different things. Fondant is used to cover a cake as well and gum paste is never used for that purpose. Besides being too hard to roll out, it would harden quickly and cause the outside of the cake to be hard. But with decorations, if you need something to stand up or hold its shape quickly, then gum paste is what you need. If you need something to be soft and pliable, then fondant is for you.

 I hope this information was helpful for you. And that you now understand which material you should use for what purpose.

Watch us talk about these differences on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/GsgAL4PSLjw
Schaut zu wie wir über diese Unterschiede auf YouTube reden hier: https://youtu.be/t4Tp0gibIwU