Which Gumpaste do I Use?

November 12, 2014August 27, 2017 Lesi

Which Gumpaste to Use?

It’s that pesky question, “Which gumpaste do I use?” There really is no right answer. With so many different brands on the market, it can be very hard to choose.

I personally only have two preferences and each is dependent on what my project is.

For flowers, by far the very best Gumpaste I have ever used is Platinum Paste. It is a product out of Great Britain but they have a distributor in Bay City, Michigan, USA. (Avenues Sweet Choices) Having to order online from the US may seem rather inconvenient, but that inconvenience is far outweighed by the fabulous end result.

For Gumpaste characters, my preference is homemade and I will attach my recipe at the end of this post.

Platinum Paste:

It rolls very very very thin. You can literally roll it out thin enough to see through and it will not tear. Thin petals mean a more realistic looking flower. You do not require cornstarch (cornflour) or vegetable shortening to prevent it from sticking. My essential tool however would be my silicon mat and I have never had any sticking problems.

Not having to use cornflour to prevent sticking means I do not have to try and dust off my petals after my flower or leaf is complete. I steam all my florals after they are complete so cornflour residue is not really an issue but it can be quite messy and I hate the clean up. Not using vegetable shortening means there is no oily residue that is going to stop my petals dusts from performing the way I want them to. Platinum paste drys fast enough that you can get to the final construction of your florals quicker. It dries solid but not brittle so even with thin petals, the material is surprisingly strong and resistant to cracks and chips.

Homemade Gumpaste:

For figures, as I mentioned before, I prefer to use homemade Gumpaste. I can control how quickly it dries by adding a bit of homemade or store bought fondant. For instance, if I am working on detailed faces, I want my paste to stay firm but moist until I get all of my details in. There is nothing more frustrating that starting out with a smooth face and after finishing the eyes and trying to move onto the mouth area, it is already drying and starting to crack and form elephant skin. No princess looks good in elephant skin.

Lots of decorators like to use a 50/50 mix of Gumpaste and Fondant but I feel your environment changes this a lot. It is very dry in Calgary, where I live, and especially during the winter I will move to more of the 50/50 mix. In the summer when there is more humidity in the air, this changes to more of a 75/25 mix. (75% being Gumpaste)

You could also make a “cheater gumpaste” by adding a bit of Tylose, GumTragacanthe, or GumTex to fondant. Add 1-2 tablespoons of Tylose powder to 1 pound of fondant. Rule of thumb says in Low humidity use less Tylose – High humidity more Tylose. Adding Tylose to your fondant allows it to dry solid and quickly. It’s great if you are in a bind and don’t have the time to make a batch of gumpaste.

I have also included a link at the end of this post that will direct you to a video showing how to turn your left over Royal Icing into a quick and great working Gumpaste.

Here is a list of a few gumpastes available in my area. Depending on where you are, you may have a more extensive variety. Experiment a bit until you find the one that suits you and your needs best. It really is just a personal preference.

Satin Ice Gumpaste 2 lb tub @ $13.99 Wht Only (Cake Mischief)

Confectioners Choice Gumpaste 2 lb tub @$14.95 Red/Blk/Wht (Flour Confections)

Bakels 6 oz. $6.49 Wht Only (PM Hobby Calgary)

McCalls Ready Made Gumpaste 300g $9.80 Wht Only (McCalls.ca)

Chocopan Gumpaste 2 lb tub @$12.99 USD (Avail online from US)

Wilton Gumpaste VariousColors 6 oz. $6.99 (Michaels)

Fondarific Gumpaste 1 lb tub $11.95 (Icing Inspirations)

Plantinum Paste 350g $23.50 Wht Only (Avenues Sweet Choices, USA)

Homemade Gumpaste Recipe (Makes 3 x 8oz bullets)

1 pound powdered sugar (icing sugar)

3 ½ oz. white cornsyrup (glucose)

2 Tbsp. Tylose Powder

3 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

Sift your sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle the Tylose powder over top of the sugar and turn your mixer on low to stir this together well.

Pour the cornsyrup into the center of your powdered sugar being careful not drip any onto the sides of the bowl.

Mix the vinegar and water together and with your mixer on low, pour this into the dry mix. Once it forms a soft ball, turn out onto your work surface that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. If mixture is sticky, put a bit of vegetable shortening on your hands and knead until you have a firm smooth ball of paste. If you mixture is very sticky, add small amounts of powdered sugar at a time being careful not to add too much, making your mixture excessively dry.

Divide the dough into three equal parts and tightly wrap in clingwrap. Store these “bullets” in the fridge in a Ziploc bag for up to 6 weeks.

Click below to Watch a short video tutorial on:

How to turn unused Royal Icing into Gumpaste

Check out some of your Gumpaste classes. They are fun and informative and I promise they will open up a whole new world for your cake decorating.

Introduction to Gumpaste

Advanced Gumpaste

Orchids and Roses

What’s Going on in Lesi’s Kitchen

November 10, 2014January 12, 2015 Lesi

Hello again cake friends! I hope this post finds you all well and happily baking up dreams.

My kitchen has been bustling with activity for the past couple of weeks. Halloween, last minute showers, and building new classes for the 2015 Roster have kept me very very busy. But putting all of that aside, it isn’t that long before all of the year end festivities start. This time of year can be quite the strain on the wallet, but you shouldn’t have to put your hobbies on hold completely. You’ll be happy to know that we are once again having our annual Winter Sale. Here at Lesi’s Kitchen it’s our way of adding a little cheer to this time of year.

Here are all of the specials, followed by the roster of classes for November. Your gift certificates however can be used on all of the classes, not just the November roster.

Special #1 : Sign up to Rose/Orchid Class and receive Intro to Gumpaste Free

Special #2: Sign up for Advanced Gumpaste and receive Intro to Gumpaste Free

Special #3: Sign up to Glamour Wedding Cakes and bring a friend for 60% OFF

BONUS SPECIAL: FREE GIFT CERTIFICATES

Get a $10 gift Certificate with sign up for Kids Cookie Workshop, Ginger Cookie Mural, Introduction to Gumpaste, or Cake Decorating-The Basics

Get a $50 Gift Certificate with sign up to any of the other classes.

YOUR BONUS CERTIFICATES ARE VALID WITHIN 3 MONTHS OF ISSUE DATE. BONUS OFFER CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH SPECIALS 1-2-3

Just a reminder as well, to sign up for your ONLINE Fat Chef Video Tutorial class at 50% off while the offer still lasts.

https://www.udemy.com/fat-chef-sculpted-cake/

Use PromoCode 5STAR

Are ready to get in on some of these great deals? It might help shorten your Holiday shopping list as well. Don’t stop reading yet. This is what’s going on in Lesi’s Kitchen for the month of November.

November 2014 Schedule of Classes

Saturday November 15^th 9:30 – 12:30

Introduction to Gumpaste

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/introduction-to-gumpaste/

Sat/Sun November 15-16^th

Gumpaste Roses and Orchids

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/gumpaste-orchids-and-flowers/

T/W/TH November 18 – 20 incl. 6:00pm – 9:30pm

Glamour Wedding Cakes Workshop

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/glamour-wedding-cakes/

Sat November 22^nd

Fundamentals of Cake Design

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/basics-in-cake-baking-cake-decorating/

Thursday November 27^th

Perfectly Square Cakes in Ganache

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/perfectly-square-cakes/

Saturday November 29^th

Advanced Gumpaste

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/advanced-gumpaste-figures-female-form/

Watch for new classes coming up in December and January

Kids Cookies https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/kids-gingerbread-cookies/

and

Adult Gingerbread Mural classes will be held on Saturday December 6^th.

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/gingerbread-cookie-mural/

Toy Chest Cake Workshop will be Tues/Wed December 16^th and 17^th 6:30 – 9:00 each evening

Kids Winterbreak Cake Decorating Day Camp

M/T/W December 29 – 31 inclusive 10am – 2:30pm each day

https://devlk.sparrowtech.xyz/cake-decorating-day-camp-kids/

I really hope that you can take advantage of some of these savings. I look forward to seeing you in class. It has been quite a year and I personally am looking forward to the festivities that start popping up all over the place.

Until next time, Happy Caking!!

Lesi

Sculpted Cakes: Fat Chef Video Tutorial Now Available!

September 20, 2014January 12, 2015 Lesi

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Hello again cake friends

I know that a lot of you were unable to attend the Fat Chef workshop this summer for one reason or another. I am taking this opportunity to share my latest project.

Fat Chef Sculpted Cake on video!

It is my first full length video (2 hours). It will take you through the entire process of creating the Fat Chef in full detail. You can work on it at your leisure, in the privacy of your own kitchen, at your own pace. Could it be any more perfect?

I am giving a 50% discount off the regular purchase price to the first 25 purchasers of the video.

Promo Code: 5STAR

Follow this link to take you to the Fat Chef video tutorial.

https://www.udemy.com/fat-chef-sculpted-cake/

Without Your Positive Reviews And Feedback,  My Business Does Not Exist

Your satisfaction is my top priority so if you are not “5 Star Happy” with my video, please contact me Lesi@lambertacademy.ca.

I welcome your critique and I highly value your opinion. Your input is necessary help perfect my process with future videos and you will not hurt my feelings I promise.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Now, I’m off to make more informative vids for you to enjoy.

Happy Caking!

Lesi

Peach Preserves for Cake Filling

September 15, 2014January 12, 2015 Lesi

Now, I am sure your getting tired of my peach schlepping. Last one, I promise. I just have to get it all out there for you. My peach eating friends are getting their fill, let me tell you.

Preserves. They are really quite simple. Do you remember the Simple Syrup post? You were already half way to your preserves.

If you are going to save them for a later date, my suggestion is to use the formal canning method. I will add one at the end of this post for your convenience. Simple prep for me because I used mine right away. And then someone (we won’t name HIM) ate the leftovers on icecream, just ’cause “That’s how we roll”.

Ready, lets start.

3 lb peaches
1 cup sugar
sprinkle cinnamon and splash of vanilla

Peel, core and slice your peaches. Soak in a citrus bath, drain well.

Place your sliced fruit into a stew pot. Allow to sit for 1/2 hour so the initial syrup can develop around the fruit. Cover pot and simmer on low heat for another 1/2 hour. You may add vanilla and cinnamon at this point. You are well on your way to peach preserves!

Once fruit has stewed down and is fairly soft but not mushy, pour off the liquid. Reserve this SIMPLE SYRUP for later use. I use a potato masher for break the fruit up into finer chunks. If you want your peach preserves a bit more gelled, like jam, this is the point that you would add pectin. I like mine just the way it is. Any extra moisture is readily soaked into the cake and that is a great thing. Pour the fruit into freshly sterilized jars. And the seals and rings (that have been sterilized as well). Secure the rings finger tight and cool overnight. The seals should pop down on their own during the cooling process. If you have prepared your fruit in this fashion, it will have to be kept in the fridge. Here it will remain useable for about 2 weeks.

For a longer preserve time, please follow formal preserve instructions:

1) Boil jars, seals and rings to sterilize
2) Add hot preserves to clean hot jars
3) Place hot seals onto filled jars
4) Finger tighten rings over the seals
5) Place hot filled jars into a pot of boiling water, water must be 1/2 – 1 ” over the top of the jar
6) Boil the filled jars for 20 minutes plus the time frame suggested in the Altitude Guide for Canning

“Elevation has more of an impact on the processing of preserves because once water boils, it can’t get any hotter. This means that even if your canning pot is happily boiling away, it might not be as hot as you think. The way that the USDA and the National Center for Home Food Preservation has you compensate for this temperature differential is by increasing processing time.”

Here’s the Altitude Guide for making these adjustments.

1,001 to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes
3,001 to 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes
6,001 to 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes
8,001 to 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes

I hope that you have made good use of my Peach September offerings. I would like to see some of your peachy creations. Please visit my Facebook page and post something so we can all enjoy.

In the meantime,

HappyCaking

Lesi

Let’s Talk Simple Syrup

September 13, 2014January 12, 2015 Lesi

Fresh "brewed" Peach Simple Syrup — Fresh “brewed” Peach Simple Syrup

Lets Talk Simple Syrup

In my world the ultimate flavour/moisture enhancer for most of my cakes would be simple syrup or sugar syrup.

Simple syrup is made by stirring granulated sugar into hot water in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and then cooling it for use. It is dispensed with a spray bottle, thru a pour spout or even with a pastry brush.

The sugar to water ratio can range anywhere from 1:1 to 2:1 depending on the desired thickness or syrupiness (probably not a word but you get my point). If you were to add pectin, it does gel quite easily and this makes it perfect as a base for fruit preserves and sauces.

In cake use however, it imparts a moistness that may have been lost in the baking process. Perhaps you froze your cake sometime ahead of using it and need to add a bit of moisture lost during the freeze time.

I like to use my cakes fairly soon after baking, so for me, it is all about flavor. More flavor, more flavor, more flavor. It can take a basic cake of any flavor and turn it into something of a masterpiece for your palate.

A few variations on the simple syrup recipe might include:

Vanilla: place a fresh vanilla bean or it’s scrapings into the sugar water mix while heating.

Espresso: replace a portion or all of the water with espresso (great on chocolate cake)

Lemon: replace a portion of the water with organic lemon juice. (Less water and more lemon makes this a truly tart experience….my fav)

Caramel: switch out your white sugar with Demerara sugar or brown sugar.

You can add rose petal, lavender, cherry essence.

You might even try substituting some of the water for the liqueur of our choice, although I would not recommend serving this variation to your children.

As you may have known, I have been on a peach kick of late. It’s harvest time in the Okanagan and the peaches are heavenly. So is the region they are grown in, incidentally.

So, without further ado, please welcome my most recent addition to the simple syrup family.

Okanagan Peach Simple Syrup

Ingredients

3 lb peaches
1 c. white sugar

Preparing your fruit to "brew" — Preparing your fruit to “brew”

Once you have peeled, cored and sliced your fruit, wash in a citrus bath to prevent the fruit from browning.(just add a tbsp of lemon to the water). Be sure all of the fruit has been submerged, pour off the citrus water and drain well.

Place your fruit into a stewing pot and sprinkle the sugar over top. Let this sit for a half hour or so. The moisture of the fruit will melt the sugar into the beginnings of your wonderful syrup. Once this syrup has started, place the covered pot on low heat to simmer. Be sure to keep your heat low, so as not to evaporate the liquid with a high boil.

After about a half hour or so, you will note a great increase in the amount of syrup around your fruit. Pour this off and reserve for use in flavoring your already baked cakes.

Pour off the liquid and this is your simple syrup

The flavor that this adds to a plain vanilla cake is out of this world.
I recently had one of my students use this syrup. Her words to me were, “My husband said it was the best cake he had ever eaten!”
Now that’s saying something!

This “brewing” process can be applied to any fruit.

Try it with strawberries, blueberries, or even mango…..the list of syrups becomes endless.

I hope you enjoy. Still more to come in my Peachy September. Stay tuned and in the meantime,

Happy Caking

Lesi

Category: Blog

Which Gumpaste do I Use?

Which Gumpaste to Use?

Homemade Gumpaste Recipe (Makes 3 x 8oz bullets)

What’s Going on in Lesi’s Kitchen

Special #1 : Sign up to Rose/Orchid Class and receive Intro to Gumpaste Free

Special #2: Sign up for Advanced Gumpaste and receive Intro to Gumpaste Free