What Can I Use To Decorate Cakes Using Glue?

The author shares their experience with cake decoration and how they discovered the benefits of edible glue. They discuss two ways to make edible glue, which can be used for adding glitter, pearls, appliqués, and more to their designs. One method involves using sugar glue, which is easy to make and can be used with fondant, modelling paste, and gumpaste.

Creating edible glue is an easy and useful trick for any cake decorator. To make it, start with 100ml (approximately 1/2 cup or 90g) of sugar glue. There are many types of edible glue that can be used in cake decorating, such as royal icing, piping gel, and melted chocolate. To attach small to medium decorations to a cake or when making cake toppers, a mix of water and tylose/CMC powder works well.

Royal icing remains the preferred method for gluing decorations to the side of a cake because it sets up quickly and forms a strong bond. Melted chocolate is surprisingly strong edible glue, and can be used to attach heavier fondant decorations to a fondant-covered cake very easily.

The author also discusses the use of sugar glue, which can be used for all your edible creations, including fondant, modelling paste, and gumpaste. Tylose glue, also known as gum glue, is used when cake decorators need to adhere gumpaste or fondant together. Water can be a great “glue” for fondant, as it dissolves a little of the sugar in the fondant, making it stick to stuff.

For sticking fondant to the cake, either butter cream it all over or marzipan it and then brush it with brandy or apricot jam. To make fondant or sugar paste icing glue, add a few drops of cold water in a pot with a blob of fondant icing and mix together.