Gumpaste is prefect for making intricate and specialty cake toppers as well as delicate flowers. The ballet shoes in the image above are made of gumpaste, and the shoes are sitting on a gumpaste disc.
Gumpaste recipe below. For a DIY on how to make this ballet topper please see our blog post here. To get the same template we used to make these ballet slippers, please find our template here.
Yields about 2 lb
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs powdered sugar
- 2-3 tsp vegetable shortening
- 12 tsp tylose powder (30 grams)
- 4 egg whites - fresh egg whites are best
Steps:
- Make sure you are using a mixing bowl and paddle is super clean with no greasy residue, and have plastic wrap and a gallon ziploc ready to go.
- Mix the egg whites for 1-2 minutes using a paddle attachment to break them up
- Add powdered sugar except for about 1 cup and mix at medium-high (about 6 or 7 on a Kitchenaid mixer) until you get a smooth royal icing consistency
- Sprinkle the tylose in slowly until the mixture starts to clump
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Remove the mixture from the mixing bowl
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Put shortening on your hands and knead with the one cup of powdered sugar until consistent, adding in more sugar if it's too soft or wet (It will feel spongy this is normal)
- Double wrap the gumpaste in plastic wrap and place gumpaste in a zip-lock bag and refridgerate for 8 hours <- This step is required!
- Bring to room temperature before use. Knead until smooth with a bit of shortening on your fingers.
Notes: Store gumpaste double wrapped and in the refridgerator for up to 6 months or up to a year in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before using. Put a little shortening on your hands and knead it onto the gumpaste until it's smooth and satin-y before you roll it out to prevent cracking.
