Sugar paste facts for kids
Sugar paste is a sweet, edible dough made mostly from sugar. You might also hear it called sugar gum or gum paste. It's a popular ingredient in cake decorating because it can be shaped into amazing designs!
Even though sugar paste and fondant icing are both used for decorating cakes, they are quite different. Sugar paste gets hard when it dries. This makes it perfect for creating solid decorations, like flowers, figures, or other cool shapes that can stand on their own. These decorations can then be attached to a cake. Fondant, on the other hand, stays soft and bendy. It's usually used to cover entire cakes, giving them a smooth, neat finish.
How is Sugar Paste Made?
Sugar paste is made both in factories (commercially) and at home. The sugar paste you buy from a store often has some cool advantages over homemade versions. Store-bought sugar paste can last for up to a year, which is super handy! It's also usually easier to work with and shape into different designs. Plus, you can buy it in a pure white color, which can be tricky to get just right when you make it at home.
A Sweet History: When Did Sugar Paste Appear?
People have been using sugar paste for a very long time! We have found evidence of it being used as far back as the 1500s.
Did you know that the very first sweets put inside Christmas crackers were made from sugar paste? These little treats were often stamped with fun words or short phrases, much like Love Hearts candies today.
