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sugarpaste in the fridge
I’m in a very hot country and about to use renshaw red sugar page but it’s very very soft due to very hot weather. Can I put the packs in the fridge before I roll the paste? And am I OK to put the cake in the fridge for 2 days once decorated ?
I’m in a very hot country and about to use renshaw red sugar page but it’s very very soft due to very hot weather. Can I put the packs in the fridge before I roll the paste? And am I OK to put the cake in the fridge for 2 days once decorated ?
Hello MariaJoaoFerreira
Personally I have never refrigerated Renshaw’s sugarpaste or any other sugarpaste. I no longer use Renshaws because I find it too soft to work with it even here in the UK. The paste may harden up in the fridge but the minute you bring it out to room temperature, condensation will form on it making it very soft, guey and unworkable. Sugarpaste is hygroscopic, it is already attracting the humidity in the atmosphere and will absorb even more in the fridge. What you can do is knead tylose/CMC or gum tragacanth to the paste to firm it up. Normally to firm up paste in hot and humid conditions knead in 1 teaspoon of gum strengthener to 500g of paste and let it rest overnight in a cool environment to activate the gum. More can be added but not too much otherwise you will end up with gumpaste! The paste will firm up and be more manageable. If you have airconditioning that should help keep it firm, but a fan will help too. Gum tragacanth is much stronger than tylose/cmc and probably best suited to your climate. I would also recommend rolling out using cornflour which will absorb some of the moisture. Icing sugar will just attract more moisture. If you want to refrigerate the cake, it will need to be double boxed and completely sealed to keep the moisture from the fridge coming into contact with the paste.
Many people who live in hot humid countries recommend using Carmas Massa ticino, a Swiss paste formulated especially for the conditions you are experiencing. From what I can understand it can also be refrigerated. This is the only paste I use now.
Hopefully other members will chip in with ideas and advice.