Sugar Paste
(R.F.M.)
R.F.M
is a very sweet sugar dough usually made from sugar and glucose. It is
sometimes referred to as fondant or sugar gum or gum paste. It
can be used to cover cakes, mold features, create
decorations for
cakes and many other uses. It is sold in white and
colors. If you buy the plain white version it can be easily colored
with gel food colorings. Nearly every color can be reached in
this manner. Although you should always follow the specific instructions that come with the brand of your choice the following are basic instructions.
Should you decide to make your own sugar dough you can follow the instructions below. One of the biggest advantages of the bought varieties is that they can usually be stored for long periods of time. Depending on how fresh the product is, it can be stored for up to a year. The disadvantage of the homemade version is that it doesn't store for as long as the bought version and it is very difficult to get a pure white paste. In most cases you will be coloring the dough anyway so it doesn't really matter. The bought version is also often easier to work with although the results achieved with the home made versions are quite adequate.
Ready Made Sugar Dough
Method:
- Break off a piece of dough the required size.
- Cover the rest of the dough very well as it dries very quickly.
- Knead until soft.
- Dip a toothpick into the required gel food color.
- Wipe it onto the dough.
- Knead the dough until the color is evenly mixed. You can use disposable gloves for this part of the process. It takes quite a while until it is evenly colored.
- Place a baking sheet on a board or work surface.
- Roll out the sugar dough on the sheet (sprinkled with caster sugar or cornflour to prevent sticking).
- Make
sure that the dough has been rolled out to a size slightly larger than
the
cake (don't forget to take the sides into account - measure the
length/width of the cake and the height of each side) and to an even
thickness that can be easy to work with without tearing.
- Cover the cake with icing, jelly or whipped cream.
- Place a thin tray or piece of board under the rolled out R.F.M.
- Place another board on top of it.
- Turn it over.
- Peel
off the baking paper.
- Lift the board up over the cake.
- Slowly
remove the thin board so that the dough covers the cake. Make sure that
you leave enough room on each side to cover the sides of the cake.
- Push out any air bubbles that have formed on the top of the cake.
- Push your hands around the sides of the cake so that the RFM tightly seals the cake without any folds or air bubbles. It is much easier to cover a round cake but if you decide to cover a cake with a shape that has corners (such as a square of triangle) then first straighten the corners and then move on to the sides.
- Cut around the bottom of the cake (with a sharp knife) very close to the edge in order to form a neat edge.
- If
you have any tears in the dough gently fill them in with pieces of the
remaining leftovers and gently blend them in to hide the joins.
Tip/Variations:
Some
people will prefer to roll the dough onto a rolling pin and then onto
the cake instead of using a board. Try both methods and see which one
you feel more comfortable with.
Home Made Sugar Paste (to be used within a few days of making)
Ingredients:
- 500 gr caster or icing sugar
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons liquid glucose
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (not olive oil or soybean oil)
- 2 teaspoons of CMC powder (to be used only if you are planning on molding shapes, flowers, etc with the sugar dough. If you are just going to cover a cake with a sheet of rolled out sugar paste then you do not need to add this)
- 1 - 2 tablespoons of cornflour (only if needed).
Method:
- Place all ingredients (except cornflour) into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Mix well until it forms a dough.
- Add
the cornflour if you feel it is needed to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into the number of colors that you need.
- Add
gel food coloring to each section.
- Mix until the color is even.
- Cover well in a sealed plastic bag (don't use cling film). Then place in an airtight container.
- Store in the fridge for a few hours before using.
Home Made Sugar Paste (to be used within a week)
Ingredients:
- 500 gr caster or icing sugar
- 4 tsp of gelatine powder
- 4
tsp of warm water
- 2 teaspoons liquid glucose
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (not olive oil or soybean oil)
- 2 teaspoons of CMC powder (to be used only if you are planning on molding shapes, flowers, etc with the sugar dough. If you are just going to cover a cake with a sheet of rolled out sugar paste then you do not need to add this).
- 1
teaspoon of glycerine.
Method:
- Melt the gelatine in the warm water.
- Warm the glucose and add to the gelatine mixture.
- Add the glycerin and oil.
- Mix
well.
- Place the icing sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and make a well in the middle.
- Add
the mixture of gelatin, glucose, glycerin and oil.
- Mix well until it forms a dough.
- Divide the dough into the number of colors that you need.
- Add
gel food coloring to each section.
- Mix until the color is even.
- Cover well in a sealed plastic bag (don't use cling film). Then place in an airtight container.
- Store in the fridge for a few hours before using.
To cover a cake:
Follow the instructions above.
To mould elements using the dough:
Add CMC powder to the entire quantity of dough produced. For the required quantity see instructions on the chosen brand.
Tip:
When making shapes or forms out of the dough you will find that your hands become sticky and difficult to work with. Put some oil or butter on your hands. This will make it much easier to work with the dough.
Serving Suggestions:
- Beach Cake
- Duck Cake (the ducks
can be made out of sugar dough instead of using plastic ones)
This is a great hobby for those looking to take up a new kitchen craft which is both easy and rewarding.