Fondant

• Fondant is a sugar paste available ready-made or made from scratch. The basic recipe usually requires 2 lbs. confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1 tbsp. gelatin, 1 1/2 tbsp. glycerin and 1 tsp. flavoring (such as vanilla). Cook the gelatin in the water until it becomes soft and dissolves. Then, add the flavorings and glycerin before combining the liquid with the sugar. Knead the mixture, and the end result is a soft sugar dough.
  
  

Gum Paste

• Making gum paste requires tylose powder, a commercial gum-based powder that helps make the paste stiffer and more moisture resistant. Making this paste, according to Jaynie Maxfield's book "Cake Decorating for the First Time," usually requires the combination 4 egg whites, 2 lbs. of powdered sugar and 2 oz. tylose powder. Beat the egg whites for about 10 minutes before slowly adding about 3/4 of the sugar, putting aside the rest for later. Once the sugar is completely incorporated, add the tylose powder. Increase the speed to high for one minute to thicken the dough before scraping it onto a surface sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and kneading in the remaining powdered sugar. The result should be a thick white paste that is firm and not sticky.
  
  

Culinary Uses

• Fondant can apply a seamless, smooth icing to formal cakes. To use it, knead the fondant like dough and work in any food coloring to produce the right hue. Roll the fondant out with a regular rolling pin, until it is about 1/4 inch thick, on a surface sprinkled with cornstarch. Then, blanket it over a cake already frosted with a thin layer of butter cream and smooth around the cake's sides before cutting off the excess.
  
  Unlike fondant, gum paste is used for only small decorations, such as realistic flowers. Dye the gum paste to the right shade using food coloring, then roll it until almost paper thin on a nonstick palette using a 6-inch nonstick roller. Then, wind it around a thin, green florist wire to create anything from calla lilies to irises.
  
  

Storage

• Fondant can be made or bought in large quantities, and excess dough is stored by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and placing it in an airtight container for up a couple months at no lower than 45 degrees F. In this state, it will last for up to two months.
  
  Gum paste is drier and stiffer than fondant, thus unused portions are more likely to crack in future applications. Quickly wrapping unused gum paste in plastic wrap and placing it in an airtight container can help prohibit this but doesn't guarantee the dough will stay moist. Once molded, dry gum-paste flowers at room temperature for one to three days, depending on the size of the flower. Once dried, the flowers can be put in an airtight container, where they will last up to a year.