This gum paste recipe is one of those foundational skills that instantly levels up your cake decorating. If you're working through my How to Make a Square Wedding Cake tutorial, this is exactly what you'll use to create those delicate, realistic sugar flowers that make a cake look professionally finished. It rolls out super thin, holds its shape, and dries firm so your decorations stay exactly where you put them.
If you've struggled with gum paste in the past, this method is all about getting the texture just right from the beginning so it behaves the way you want it to. I was taught this original recipe by the late great Nicholas Lodge and have never used anything else.
Why This Recipe Works
This is essentially a strengthened sugar dough. The powdered sugar creates structure, the egg whites bind everything together into a smooth paste, and the tylose activates to give the gum paste elasticity and that firm dry you need for decorations.
You'll notice the mixture goes through a few stages, from loose to royal icing to spongy and pocked. That's exactly what you want. Once it rests overnight, the texture evens out into a smooth, workable dough.
And yes, this recipe uses raw egg whites. Between the high sugar content and the fact that gum paste dries out completely, it becomes shelf-stable quickly. If you prefer, you can use pasteurized egg whites.
Tips for Success
- Always use the paddle attachment, not the whisk.
- Letting the gum paste rest overnight makes a huge difference in how smooth and workable it is.
- Keep gum paste tightly wrapped at all times to prevent it from drying out.
- If it feels stiff after resting, knead it with a bit of shortening to bring it back to life.
Final Thoughts
Gum paste is one of those things that gets better the more you work with it. Once you understand the texture and how it should feel at each stage, it becomes really predictable and easy to use.
And when it works… it really works.
Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 lbs powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoon vegetable shortening
- 12 teaspoon Confectionary Arts tylose powder Make sure the 12 teaspoon are level (30 grams)
- 4 egg whites fresh egg whites are best
Instructions
instructions
- Add 4 egg whites to a stand mixer bowl.Mix the egg whites for 1-2 minutes using a paddle attachment to break them up. You must use a paddle attachment.
- Pour all the powdered sugar in except for about 1 cup.
- Mix the powdered sugar and egg whites at medium-high (about 6 or 7 on a Kitchenaid mixer) until you get a royal icing consistency.
- Sprinkle the tylose into the royal slowly until the mixture starts to clump.
- Remove from the mixing bowl.
- Put shortening on your hands and knead until consistent.
- Knead in more sugar if it's too soft or wet. It will feel spongy and have a pocked look, that is normal.
- Place gumpaste in a zip-lock bag and then put into the refrigerator overnight to mature. This step is mandatory.
- Bring to room temperature before use. Knead until smooth with a bit of shortening on your fingers.
Lise says
Does the raw egg hazard concern you?
Liz Marek says
Raw eggs in gum paste usually make people nervous, but they’re not actually a problem for a couple of reasons.
First, gum paste isn’t eaten like cookie dough or mousse. It’s used for decorations that dry out completely. That drying process removes the moisture that bacteria like salmonella need to survive. No water activity = no growth.
Second, sugar plays a huge role here. Gum paste is mostly powdered sugar, which creates an environment that’s incredibly hostile to bacteria. High sugar concentrations pull moisture away from microbes through osmosis, basically dehydrating them.
And third, the egg whites themselves are often pasteurized, especially if you’re using carton egg whites or powdered meringue powder. That means any potential bacteria have already been neutralized.
So between the low moisture, high sugar content, and drying time, gum paste becomes shelf-stable pretty quickly. That’s why it’s considered safe for decorative use, even with egg whites in the recipe.
Jayne Ross says
Great recipe. Made a 3d owl and the feathers looked amazing using your gum paste recipe.
Milena says
Hi,
How long will shapes made with this last - as in, how long will they be edible? I know most people don’t eat gum paste decorations, but kids love to taste the pretty stuff, so...
The Sugar Geek Show says
Years and years as long as they are kept dust free
Jay McGarry says
I tried halving the recipe, weighing the confectionary sugar and measuring carefully. It looked right until I added the tylose and then it became like a crumble. Can I fix it?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Sounds like you didn't use the correct tylose powder. It needs to be the brand listed.
Kristen Wilson says
Can you use the meringue powder for the egg whites? I’m a little ocd with using the fresh whites. If so, how much meringue powder would you use?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I've never made it without fresh egg whites so I don't know if it would work the same 🙂 You could always give it a try but I assure you using fresh egg whites with this amount of sugar is perfectly safe. Chefs have been making gumpaste this way for a long time.
Annie says
Could I use gum paste to form a skeleton hand?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Totally!
Desmond says
Hi dear can I use this gum paste instead of a normal paste
The Sugar Geek Show says
What do you mean normal paste?
Dorodeen samuels says
Can adding salt and cream of tartar spoil this recipe? I did because I thought it would help it to dry quicker and harder , but I got something different there were no elasticity in it.
The Sugar Geek Show says
Did you use the specific tylose brand in the recipe? Anything else will have different results. Salt and cream of tartar shouldnt make a difference.
Peta Z says
My search for "can I use CMC instead of tylose in Nicholas Lodge's gumpaste recipe?" took me here among many other places. Finally I have figured it out, for anyone looking for the answer, yes, you can! I checked the ingredients of the tylose powder NL uses and found it contains CMC, sugar and dextrine and mine only had E466 (CMC) as the sole ingredient. So I reduced the amount for the recipe to 8 Australian teaspoons (5ml per) and it came together exactly like every video I have obsessively watched. It is perfect, pliable and soft but even here in Queensland where it is currently 21°C and raining my test pieces are already starting to dry beautifully. Hope this helps someone!
Holly says
I love your recipe and use it all the time. However I use CMC tylose. Now could that be why my petals break so easy?
Rena says
I only have a handheld mixer without paddle , can I use the whisks to make this gum paste ?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I would mix the the last part after you add in the tylose with a spatula and then finish by hand or you might break your mixer
Julie says
I'm new to this and would like to clarify: I assume that after you make the flowers they would need to be refrigerated as well so they do not spoil. How long can they be on a decorated cake that is not refrigerated and still be good?
The Sugar Geek Show says
No, gumpaste flowers do not spoil. They last forever unless you drop or break them.
Anna says
Whenever I use wilton ready gumpaste, and I roll out balls to make figures, it always cracks! I can never make it perfectly round without cracks and whatnot. I need to make a cake soon with animal figures, will this gumpast hold up well? Does it roll into shapes easily? And could I make the figures ahead of time and store in a airtight container? Thanks in advance!!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
I don't usually make figures out of gumpaste, I make them out of fondant with a little tylose powder added in. Gumpaste is usually for sugar flowers
Anna says
Than you so much for answering! What recipe do you use, if you dont mind sharing that is. Also, is it ok to make the figures in advance? Thank you!