Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi…….
I’m making a Peter Pan cake for Thursday and I am adding a second tier in the shape of a 6″ moon; is there something that I can add to my Renshaw’s sugar paste to make it easier to work with so it doesn’t crack or tear when I am covering ands stretching it?? Thanks in advance 🙂 Tracey x

Hello Tracy

Add a little tylose powder to your sugarpaste. Not too much, about half teaspoon to 250g of sugarpaste just enough to strengthen it. Leave the paste to rest for an hour before using it. The tylose will stop the paste from being stretchy. To stop it cracking either knead a small amount of trex into it before rolling or smear some on the counter instead of lots of icing sugar. If you ever get the opportunity to buy the Mat by Sweetwise, I can say it’s brilliant for rolling out on. Google the Mat and see how it works. x

Thanks so much for your help MIWL 🙂

I have seen the mat and I am striving towards one day owning one….perfect tool for the job!

I don’t have Tylose powder but I do have Wilston’s ‘Gum Tex’ and Squire’s ‘Gum Tragacanth’……which of these would you suggest to use in the sugar paste as a good alternative?

Thanks again….Tracey x

Use Gum Tex it’s the same as tylose, activation time is immediate or an hour. Gum trag needs to be rested for 24 hours to activate properly. If you’ve got some very thick polythene you could roll you sugar paste out on that to make covering the cake easier. If you do the get the mat you’ll have done yourself a massive favour. x