Tips you need while handling sugar flowers for cakes in monsoons

Ever seen delicate, sugary flowers on cakes that look super real and delectable, and wondered what went behind making these? Made with a sugar dough called gum paste, these hand-modelled flowers add a beautiful look to any cake.

What is a gum paste?
Gum paste is a dough made with icing sugar, an edible gum called gum tragacanth and other ingredients. The special ingredient is what helps to roll it very thin and gives a real look to the petals and in turn to the flowers. This also helps in drying the petals/flowers quickly and retaining the shape of the petals. These flowers can then be preserved for a very long time provided proper storage and care are taken.

Ashwini Sarabhai, the founder of a cake designing studio, says, “Unique in the aspect that these flowers are edible, there has been an increased demand for these. However, with the monsoons, people find it difficult to take care of these sweet flowers.”
Sugar being one of the main ingredients in gum paste, it is bound to be affected by humidity causing the flower petals to soften and lose their shape. But fret not! There are ways to prevent this from happening.

Tips to handle the sugar flowers with care
Here are five things that Ashwini Sarabhai is following for years while making, and later preserving sugar flowers in the monsoons.

Use gum tragacanth/tylose powder
Adding some extra tylose powder/gum tragacanth to the gum paste surely helps. Knead in a little as required and let the gum paste rest for a couple of hours.

Use the oven light or table lamp
Place the petals/flowers under a small lamp to dry them. A table lamp or the light of the oven works well. Do take care to maintain a distance between the flower and the lamp. We do not want excess heat close to the flower.

Use cornflour/cornstarch
Make use of cornflour/cornstarch to dust while rolling the gum paste. This helps in drying it out and prevents it from getting sticky.

Be sure all tools/work surfaces are clean and dry
Having clean and dry surfaces and tools sure helps in keeping the gum paste away from moisture.

Air conditioner
On days with high humidity, sugar flowers can be kept in a room with the air conditioner on. This helps in keeping the flowers dry and retaining their shape.

Follow these tried and tested steps to make beautiful sugar flowers and adorn your cakes and creations.