Mexican Paste
Mexican Paste is a soft fondant type paste ideal for cutting out shapes and modelling. It is better than fondant or flower paste in that it does not stretch or lose it’s shape when transferring the cut out shapes to the drying board. This makes it excellent for making plaques and also for using with patchwork cutters.
It is very easy to make as it is basically icing with Gum Tragacanth. Patchwork powder is commercially available, but it is so easy and much cheaper to make your own. Gum Tragacanth is the ingredient which makes the paste dry very hard and stops it stretching when handling the freshly cut shapes. CMC is a Gum Tragacanth alternative by ‘Sugarcel’ and is ideal for vegetarians. CMC can be used in exactly the same quantities as Gum Tragacanth.
Recipe
8 oz (226 grams) Sifted Icing Sugar
3 x 5ml teaspoons Gum Tragacanth (or CMC)
6 x 5ml teaspoons Cold Water
To Make
Stir the gum Tragacanth (or CMC) into the sifted icing sugar and add the cold water. Stir well until most of the icing sugar is incorporated. At this point it is best to just get your hands in and keep kneading until you have one lump of icing. Once you have reached this point, keep kneading until you have a smooth ball of Mexican Paste. It does take a little time and may seem impossible to incorporate all the dry icing sugar, but do not despair and do not be tempted to add more water as it will eventually become smooth.
Wrap the Mexican paste up in cling film and seal in an air tight bag for 24 hours.
To Use
Lighly oil a clean surface and take the Mexican paste (which will have become very firm) and knead until soft again. Cut a piece off and reseal the remaining. Roll out the paste on the oiled surface until it is very thin.
At this point you can use any shape cutter you wish to create the required shapes. Lightly oil the cutters before use as this makes it easier to release the shape and also creates a smoother edge. Place the cut out shapes onto a clean board to harden in a dry room.
Once dry they can be coloured either by spraying, painting with food colour or dusting with petal dust mixed with a little cornflour.
Mexican past shapes can be kept for weeks in a cardboard box (an old chocolate box is ideal) in a dry room. Do not store the shapes in a sealed container as they will become soft.
Unused Mexican Paste will keep in the freezer for up to 12 months provided it is double sealed and airtight.
Share This
Posted by: Sheila | 11-10-2008 | 09:11 PM
Posted in: Cake Decorating | Tutorials
Thanks for this – really simple and helpful.
How long will the Mexican paste keep for?
Mexican paste will keep for up to a month in an airtight bag in a sealed container. Alternatively it keeps up to a year in the freezer provided it is airtight and double wrapped.
Thanks alot it is very nice, helpful and easy.
hi. i like the look of this recipe. i see other recipes for mexican paste that contain glucose and yours dont. what is the difference? your help would be appreciated
Glucose makes the paste stretchy. This is important when using it to mould flower petals. However when cutting out shapes with mexican paste cutters I do not want the shape to stretch when you lift it, so I leave the glucose out.
Hi I have made this paste but found that it sticks to the board so when I try to peel it away from the cutter it wont peelaway clean and it just breaks up what have i done wrong.
It is necessary to oil the board and cutters well with oil. Sunflower oil is good as it is light and does not discolour or flavour. Use a pastry brush to lightly oil your board and also the cutter. This is especially important for shapes such as arms and legs which can be difficult to release. Ensure you have kneaded the paste well, it does take quite a while to get it completely smooth, then wrap it up in cling film and seal it in a bag for 24 hours before trying to use it.
Nice of you to give your recipe for Mexican Paste, but I don’t understand these measurements:
3 x 5ml teaspoons Gum Tragacanth
6 x 5ml teaspoons Cold Water
The letter “x” generally means “times”, as in “2 x 3 = 6″.
Therefore the “3 x 5ml” and “6 x 5ml” makes no sense to me.
Could someone please explain it?
Thanks.
Andrea daVinci Braun
Taking 3 x 5 ml teaspoons as an example
A teaspoon holds approximately 5 ml, therefore you require 3 teaspoons or 15 ml (3 x 5)
Can I mix fondant and Mexican paste to cover a cake
Mexican paste has Gum Tragacanth in it to make it harden. This is not present in fondant and is not desirable as you want the cake to be covered in a soft fondant and not one that will crack and break up when cut. Also if you try to mix Mexican paste into fondant, it will be very difficult to ensure it is mixed evenly and you could end up with some hard spots and some soft spots.
When I’ve used Mexican Paste to make decorations for the top of cakes I’ve found it cracks really easily. Can anyone suggest what I can do to stop this?
The recipe I use
255g Icing sugar
1 tbsp Gum Tragacanth
1 tsp Liquid Glucose
8 tsp cold water
I just now saw your explanation, Sheila. Thank you so much.
It’s clearer now. Still don’t understand the reasoning behind the concept, but do understand now what it means.
Again, thank you.
Andrea daVinci Braun
@charlotte
looking at your recipe, it may be that the liquid glucose is making it soft. Liquid glucose is used to make paste stretchy ie for making flower petals, but this is not desirable for Mexican paste. I also think you may be using too much water. 6 teaspoons of water is sufficient for your recipe. It does take quite a while to incorporate all the dry ingredients but eventually you will have a ball of paste. After this stage, kneed for a further few minutes to ensure a really soft and smooth paste. Wrap in cling film and leave it overnight to fully develop before using.
How long does mexican paste usually take to go hard?
Thankyou x
@ Mrs J – I usually leave any shapes I have made from mexican paste overnight in a dry room (do not seal in an airtight container). The next day they will be hard and ready to paint/assemble.
A-ha!! Thats where ive gone wrong, I put them in an air tight container.! Problem averted, thankyou very much!
Thankyou so much x
Hi can I just ask can I add food colouring paste into this to have a coloured version? If so what do I take out (water I’m assuming) and any guide on amounts? It’s a food colouring gel paste I will be using.
@Laura. You certainly can add food colouring to the Mexican Paste. Provided you are using colouring paste, there is no need to add less water as the amount of colouring involved is not significant. The only difference will be that the colours will be more subtle. Vibrant colours will need to be painted onto the dried shapes.
Am I able to make people out ov Mexican paste, if so will I av to support it wiv a dowle to make it stand up?
Hi, Thank you for this recipe for mexican paste, can anybody explain the difference between mexican paste and sugar dough as I’m a little confused? I want to cover a cake and model figures to sit/stand on top – please can you advise what I should use?
Thank you
@Jo. Mexican paste dries rock hard but does not contain any of the items that make it stretchy. This means it is ideal for cutting out shapes. Sugar dough is best for making models as it is easy to shape, dries quickly on the outside but stays soft inside making it edible.
@cheryl. Mexican paste is not an ideal product to make models out of. It is not stretchy and is mainly used for cutting out thin shapes and small items for models such as belts and buckles as they keep their shape better. I make most of my models out of coloured fondant but if you want larger models, you can purchase ready made sugar dough which is ideal for making people. You should not need to support them as they dry quite quickly.
I need to make pillars that will support a cake on top ov it, as I cnt seem to be able to buy them anywhere, u got any suggestions to wot is best for me todo? X
@Cheryl – Most cake decorating shops sell a wide variety of cake pillars, but if you
really can’t find what you want, making your own is an option. Cakes do
not actually sit on the pillars, but are supported by dowels in the cake
that go right through the pillar with the pillar just sitting neatly
between the two tiers.
You can buy white plastic dowels or make your own from 6.5 mm wooden
dowelling (sanitise them before inserting in the cake).
I suggest you make your pillars out of sugar dough, making sure each one
is exactly the same height and while they are wet make a hole through the
centre of each one that the dowel will fit through.
Once you have decorated your cake, mark on the bottom tier where you want
the pillars to sit. When you have them lined up, insert a skewer through
the centre of each one and press gently into the top of the cake to make a
small hole in the icing.
Measure and cut your dowels so that they are the depth of the decorated
cake, plus the height of the pillar plus 2mm extra. Push the dowels into
the cake, making sure you push them down straight and not at an angle (I
get someone to watch me at this point to make sure they are straight).
Place your pillars onto the dowels – the dowels should stick up by the
2mm. When all dowels and pillars are in place, gently place the second
tier on top. The top tier will appear to be sitting on the pillars, but
in fact will be resting on the dowels. Repeat with the next layer if
necessary.
Hi me again, thanks for the above info, another question once made how long can you keep the letters for? I did a practice run this week for a cake I’m making end of next week and it worked so well I was wondering if it would be ok to keep them and if so how best to store them?
@Laura I’m glad that the letters came out well. You certainly can use the ones
you have made for the cake you are making next week. The letters will
keep weeks in a dry place. I suggest a cardboard box or a plastic box
with some kitchen roll taped over the top. Do not put them in an air
tight container.
Can you tell me what you would use to fix items made out of mexican paste together with. I have made a garden gazebo but now not sure how best to assemble.
@Rachel. Edible Glue is the best thing to fix your Mexican paste items as it is clear and dries without marking the icing. You will need to ‘glue’ the pieces one at a time, letting each one dry before adding the next. Sponges can be used to safely support your Gazebo as you assemble it. Squires Kitchen sell a 20 ml bottle of Edible Glue for approx £2.25. Edible glue is available from most cake decorating shops and on-line cake decorating suppliers through e-bay.
Hi there, Could I use CMC (Gum Tragacanth substitute) at all? I have bought it in bulk. I have found that using the same quantities as gum tragacanth previously used, the mixture went too dry and crumbly so I had to add some more fondant to make it right again. thanks a lot.
@Suzanna – CMC can certainly be used in the same way as Gum Tragacanth. It may be that your fondant was slightly drier this time which is why it became crumbly. I would suggest only making a small amount at a time (a ball the size of a small satsuma) and adding just a pinch of CMC. Kneed well and leave in a sealed bag to allow the CMC to become absorbed into the fondant.
Thanks for that. Could I use the CMC to make Mexican paste? and would it be in the same quantities as the Gum Tragacanth?
@Suzanne – CMC can certainly be used to make Mexican paste. I would use the same quantities as stipulated in my recipe. It does take a long time to mix all the powder in so do not rush into adding more water.
Thanks very much for your time, I will have a go tomorrow, can’t wait!!
Hi there, I have now attempted this recipe for Mexican paste(using CMC instead of Gum Tragacanth). I kneaded it for about 45 minutes and resisted the temptation to addmore water as per your advice on here, and it still was crumbly like breadcrumbs. I thought, maybe it will solidify overnight, so I pu it in a plastic bag and wrapped it up tight in a plastic container and this morning, it is still like breadcrumbs. Is there any hope for it, or should I throw it away and try with the real thing, Gum Trag? any advice would be gratefully received. thanks a lot.
@Suzanna – So sorry to hear you are having problems making Mexican Paste. There is no doubt you kneaded it sufficiently, but before you give up, I suggest you do try to add a little more water, but only a drop or two at a time. If it looks like breadcrumbs then it is definitely too dry. Once you have a ball (albeit a bit dry and cracking easily) then you can start to knead to get it smooth. I It could be that the hot weather is having an effect as I must admit that I make a batch in December ready to decorate my Christmas cakes then freeze the rest for projects throughout the year.
Hi. Can Mexican paste be rolled out and then cut into shape after it goes hard? I’ve seen some sort of icing being used like this on baking shows.. Is this what they’re using? Thanks.
@Una Mexican paste cannot be cut into shapes once it goes hard as it will just break. The beauty of Mexican paste is that it can be rolled very thinly and will keep it shape while being handled. Once dry it will remain very hard unless kept in a damp environment. I am sorry but I cannot think what you may have seen on the cooking programme.
Thanks for the tips, I found mexican paste really expensive to buy, so I’m sooo glad I came across this recipe (it hadn’t even occurred to me that I could make it!) I’m going to give it a go this week, will let you know how I get on!
xx
Hi,
Thank you for sharing. Im making tiny shoes at the moment and ive made this mexican paste. It is absolutely perfect for the sole of the shoes! But i find that it hardens and breaks/cracks so quickly. I don’t even have enough time to shape the other parts of my shoes.
Have i done something wrong? or Mexican paste do harden and breaks/cracks easily? I followed the ingredients and instructions. Wrapped it in cling film and left it in an airtight container for 24 hours. It is smooth and when kneading it’s perfect consistency.
hope you can help…thank you..
@ivjenkins – Are you keeping the remainder of the paste covered while you work on each piece? Mexican paste dries out very quickly and I only take as much as I need for each shape and keep the rest in cling film until I need it.
Hi, Is the mexican paste edible? or is it something you make decorations out of and remove before eating? I have a communion cake to do and was going to make the beads/pearls out of mexican paste as it sets hard but don’t want to break anyones teeth! Thanks.
@Alison Mexican paste is edible, but I would not recommend eating lots of it, especially if it is highly coloured. It will not break a tooth, but is not that wonderful to eat either.
Thanks for your advice. Do you recommend I make the beads out of something else? perhaps just sugarpaste? It’s just I bought a bead maker tool and it said to use mexican paste.
@alison – I think that you should make the beads out of Mexican Paste as this is the best medium for your bead maker and the easiest to use. It will also give a better finish. Experience has shown that most people do not eat the decorations and those that do, taste a small amount first to see if they like them. Even if they do eat the ‘beads’, they will not be consuming large enough quantities to worry about.
Thank you so much, It’s great to be able to get some decent advice.
Thank you for all this advise, I am so delighted. I have been advised to use Mexican paste to make a bike topper for a cake, have you any advice (-: I usually use modelling paste for toppers, but I see that Mexican paste won’t be stretchy, so it will be ideal for tyres etc!!
Thank you so much for all this advice on the Mexican paste. I usually use modelling paste for my cake toppers, but I have been asked to make a bicycle and someone suggested Mexican paste. I see from your pervious advice that it isn’t stretchy so should be ideal, would you have any other advice for me re the bike (-:
Thanks again
Ger
@Ger – I think Mexican paste will be ideal for this project. The paste is not stretchy which means the cut out pieces keep their shape while you move them to a drying board. I do not know it you are making a flat bike or a 3D model but when making flat models I use edible glue to stick the pieces to the cake. Mexican paste is also good at creating a decoupage effect. For example cut out twice as many wheels, saddles and handlebars and once dry and painted, glue one piece on top of another to give greater depth to your model.