Sugar Paste Icing Guide | Craft Company

In this guide to Sugar Paste Icing, we look at what Sugar Paste Icing is used for, how it is used to cover your cake and the various brands and products we have available to buy.

What is Sugar Paste Icing?

Sugar paste icing, also known as fondant icing or ready-to-roll icing, is a malleable, sweet tasting, soft icing which is easy to roll out and provides you with a quick and straightforward way of decorating and covering cakes. It provides cakes with a smooth, polished finish which makes it a popular choice for celebration cakes intended for weddings and birthdays. Due to its convenience and the ease at which it can be used, Sugar Paste Icing can be used by beginner cake decorators.

What is Sugar Paste Icing used for?

Sugar Paste Icing is used for decorating cakes, cookies and cupcakes. This highly versatile icing is also the preferred option among many cake decorators when it comes to using cutters and moulds. Its pliability means it can also be used for hand-modelling to create characters and cake toppers.

How do you colour Sugar Paste?

You can buy ready-coloured Sugar Paste, however, if you have acquired white or ivory Sugar Paste, you can still add colouring to this. We recommend that you use food colouring paste or gel when adding colour to Sugar Paste. Liquid colouring is not a good option as it will make the Sugar Paste sticky and unusable. To add colour, you simply add the paste or gel of your choice to provide the desired look.

How do you make Sugar Paste dry quicker?

We recommend that you cover cakes and make Sugar Paste decorations in advance to allow them to dry in time. However, if you are pushed for time, you can add CMC powder, or Tylose, or gum tragacanth, to ensure your Sugar Paste dries quicker. To achieve this, add the CMC powder a pinch at a time and knead in well and you will find that your Sugar Paste will dry in a shorter period of time.

Can you put Sugar Paste in the fridge?

It is not recommended that you store Sugar Paste in the fridge. If Sugar Paste has been in the fridge, when it is taken out and returns to room temperature you will find that it becomes damp and soggy from the condensation. It is best to store Sugar Paste in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight, somewhere cool but not in a fridge.

What is the Difference Between Sugar Paste Icing and Royal Icing?

They both have different ingredients with Sugar Paste Icing being made from icing sugar, gelatine, corn syrup and water and Royal Icing containing icing sugar and egg whites. This makes them rather different from each other.

Whereas Sugar Paste Icing is soft, with a dough-like consistency, Royal Icing on the other-hand is hard with a dried texture. Sugar Paste Icing is therefore preferred for covering entire, large cakes, and Royal Icing is better for piping and creating decorations.

How do you use Sugar Paste Icing when Covering a Cake?

This process can be followed when covering cakes with any of our types of ready-to-roll Sugar Paste Icing.

Firstly, it’s best to ensure the Sugar Paste is at room temperature before use. You may decide that it is not necessary to use the entire amount of Sugar Paste in the packet to cover your cake and can therefore only use the amount you require. Judging the amount of Sugar Paste you need is a skill in itself and comes with experience but don’t worry if you use too much as any excess can be trimmed and used again, as explained later on.

Start by kneading the paste thoroughly as this will activate the gums to result in maximum levels of pliability and strength.

Sprinkle a small amount of icing sugar onto your work surface and rolling pin, and then roll the Sugar Paste to the desired thickness.

Carefully roll out the Sugar Paste over the cake then smooth with your hands, starting at the top.

Then, drape the icing over the sides and smooth around to create a smooth, professional finish.

You can also use a smoothing tool across the top and sides of the cake.

Once you have finished smoothing the Sugar Paste, use a small, sharp knife to trim away the excess.

Any excess Sugar Paste can be kneaded and placed in an airtight container or sealed bag and stored away from heat, humidity and bright lights

Sugar Paste Brands and Products

Our collection of Sugar Paste comprises of many different types of ready-to-roll icing from various brands. You have plenty of options when it comes to colour and quantity too.

Satinara Luxury Sugar Paste

This luxury Sugar Paste has been made with a special formula to ensure you get a silky, smooth finish. It also offers an excellent amount of stretch, strength and long-lasting pliability. Satinara Sugar Paste is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Due to these attributes, Satinara Luxury Sugar Paste is suitable for use by both experts and beginners.

It is particularly well-suited to tall, complex cakes as it can be rolled to just 2mm thickness but still maintains its integrity and creates crisp, sharp edges. This makes Satinara Sugar Paste a cost-effective option too. When tested, a 5kg bag of Satinara Luxury Sugar Paste was used to cover three large cakes and there was still enough left over to create some sugar models.

Not only is this Satinara Sugar Paste used for covering cakes but is also suitable for making sugar models like flowers and characters too. For more intricate models, like fine flowers, some tylo powder can be added to provide greater rigidity.
This Sugar Paste is available in white and ivory colours. Satinara Luxury White Sugar paste is available in quantities of 1kg, 2.5kg and 5kg. Satinara Ivory Sugar Paste is available in quantities of 2.5kg and 5kg.

If you would like to add colour to this Sugar Paste, then you can use food colouring gel or dust. It is recommended that you don’t add liquid food colouring as this could alter the texture of the paste.

Culpitt Perfect Finish Ready to Roll Icing

If you are looking for ready-to-roll Sugar Paste in a particular colour, you have plenty to choose from within our Culpitt Perfect Finish Ready to Roll Icing range. This Sugar Paste is well suited to celebration cakes for birthdays, weddings and other occasions.
Here are the colours available: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Green, Hot Pink, Ivory, Light Blue, Light Pink, Navy Blue, Orange, Purple, Red, White and Yellow. You have both 250g and 1kg packs to select from.

Renshaw Professional Ready to Roll Sugar Paste Icing

This range features over 30 different colours and four separate sizes: 250g, 500g, 1kg and 2.5kg. There are also classic and chocolate flavours available. There is also a separate Renshaw White Ready to Roll Sugar Paste Icing available in a 450g pack.

This Sugar Paste contains gum tragacanth, making it pliable and easy to work with. The formulations results in a Sugar Paste which is soft on the underside and firm on the top. This firmness makes it ideal for adding decorations and also topping with colours, dusts and paints.

Renshaw Professional Sugar Paste Icing can also be hand modelled or used with cutters and moulds. This versatile Sugar Paste can be used to cover cakes, cupcakes and cookies. The manufacturer states that for best results, use Renshaw Ready to Roll Icing for covering and sculpted novelty cakes and it is also recommended for sheeting and modelling.

Renshaw Extra Ready to Roll Icing

This Sugar Paste Icing has a firmer texture than the standard Ready to Roll Icing. It is available in four colours: Black, Marshmallow, Red and White. It has extra elasticity and is ideal for taller, deeper cakes. For best results you can use this for deep cakes and sculpted novelty cakes, but it is also suitable for sheeting, covering and modelling.

Renshaw Cover Paste Icing

Renshaw Cover Paste Icing includes a professional variety and a premium version. The Renshaw Premium Cover Paste Icing is firmer and is more elastic than the professional variety and this means it is better for covering large, tall cakes. Both of these sugar pastes are available in white and ivory colours with Renshaw Professional Cover Paste Icing available 1kg, 2.5kg and 5kg sizes with the Renshaw Premium Cover Paste Icing available to buy in 2.5kg and 5kg sizes.

Renshaw Sugar Paste Icing Multipacks

In addition to buying this Sugar Paste Icing individually, there are also some multipack options which provide you with some excellent variety when it comes to covering cakes and hand modelling for decorations.

Rainbow and Unicorn

The Renshaw Personalise Me! Rainbow and Unicorn Decorating Kit contains: 100g Yellow RTR Sugar Paste, 100g Fuchsia RTR Pink Sugar Paste, 100g Pastel Green RTR Sugar Paste, 100g Baby Blue RTR Sugar Paste, 2g silver shimmer sachet to bring your creation to life. This kit is intended to bring a rainbow and unicorn theme to life.

Primary

With our Renshaw Primary Colours Ready to Roll Sugar Paste Icing Multipack in you can acquire a great option for decorating and mixing together to create different shades. This pack comprises of five colours in 100g individual bars: Black, Blue, Red, Green and Yellow.

Neons

You can use Renshaw Neons Ready to Roll Sugar Paste Icing for covering cakes and also for hand modelling to create an array of decorations. This Sugar Paste is available in packs which contain five individual 100g bars in the following colours: Black, Turquoise, Orange, Hot Pink and Yellow.

Naturals

The Renshaw Ready to Roll Naturals Sugar Paste Icing is ideal for creating faces intended for celebration cakes and cupcakes. The five 100g individual bars are available in the following colours and flavours, Flesh Tone, Teddy Bear Brown, Chocolate Flavour, White and Black Sugar Paste.

Massa Ticino Sugar Paste

Massa Ticino by Mona Lisa Multi-Purpose Sugar Paste is a completely vegan Sugar Paste is made from sustainable sugar and sunflower oil. It is available in Black, Blue, Green, Ivory, Pink, Red and White colours in 250g, 1kg and 2.5kg sizes.
Also, from the Massa Ticino range, are both black and white sugar pastes in 1kg packs. These Sugar Pastes are well suited to professional cake bakers and cake designers. Massa Ticino Sugar Paste has a high level of elasticity and is a great choice for covering a wide range of cakes.

Saracino Sugar Paste

We have two separate Sugar Pastes from the Saracino range to choose from. The Saracino White Pasta Top Sugar Paste, in quantities of 1kg, has a high level of elasticity and can be rolled out to a thickness of 1mm. The unique formula allows it to be worked in high temperatures of up to 30 degrees. You can also colour this Sugar Paste with concentrated food colouring pastes. There is also the Saracino White Sugar Paste, which is available in 5kg quantities and has very similar properties to the White Pasta Top Paste.

Squires Kitchen Ready to Roll Sugar Paste – Bridal White

Available in a 5kg pack, this is primarily intended for celebration cakes including those for weddings and birthdays. It can also be used to decorate biscuits and cupcakes too. It has a delicate vanilla flavour.

House of Cake Sugar Paste

Our House of Cake Sugar Pastes are available in 100g packs with Metallic Silver and Metallic Gold colours available. This Sugar Paste is great for creating a metallic looking cake. This Sugar Paste is easily pliable and is therefore recommended for lettering, shapes and marbling. These Sugar Pastes offer an easy-to-use option for celebration cakes.

Celebration Sugar Paste by Beau Products

Available in 250g tubs and both Golden and Silver colours, Celebration Sugar Paste by Beau Products is ideal for covering cakes quicky and effectively. This will save you time and effort when covering celebration cakes for birthdays and weddings.