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    Home » Other Techniques

    How to Make Fondant Glue

    Published: Aug 3, 2020 · Modified: Aug 4, 2022 by Priya Maha

    How to make fondant glue?

    In my other post on the best glues to stick fondant decorations on cake, I talked about 3 types of fondant glues that can be used to stick fondant cake decorations. 

    This fondant glue post is an extension of that post, and I am sharing here, step by step instructions on how to make the Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) Glue or also known as edible fondant glue or CMC glue.

    Poster for fondant glue tutorial with the image of a white gum paste rose

    The CMC powder that is used in cake decorating often comes in powder form. It is commonly used in cake decorating particularly with fondant when making 3d figurines and shapes. This powder helps to stabilize fondant, enabling the formed shapes and figurines to set and hold their shapes better. This powder can be easily obtained in cake supply shops.

    Not only is CMC used for making such decorations, it is also very effective as edible glue to hold fondant pieces as well as gum paste pieces together.

    This fondant glue has excellent drying and holding properties, making it the best edible glue for sticking large or heavy fondant decorations and for making gum paste flowers.

    And the good thing about this quick fondant glue is that you can actually make it in advance and keep it for a few weeks (in an airtight container).


    Step by Step Instructions to Make Fondant Glue

    Things you need are:

    • CMC powder
    • Water
    • A clean container to mix and keep the glue
    • A clean brush to mix the glue

    For the purpose of this tutorial, the exact amount of CMC powder and water I use is as follows:

    • ¼ teaspoon of CMC powder
    • 2 tablespoon water

    And here is how to make the fondant glue:

    • Measure the CMC powder into a clean container with lid.
    Adding CMC powder into a small clear container
    A small red measuring spoon next to a small container of water and CMC
    • Next, add 1 tablespoon of water and mix it with a clean brush.
    Using a red measuring spoon to scoop water from a blue measuring up. In the background is a clear container with powder.
    Mixing fondant glue in a small container. On the sides are blue measuring cup and 2 red measuring spoons.
    • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. 
    • At this stage, you might see lumps of the CMC powder. See the image below. I am showing this against a black background so that you can see the lumps better. The lumps are perfectly ok at this stage. 
    A container of clear fondant glue with a green brush in it
    • Simply leave the glue aside for about 15 minutes to 20 minutes. The lumps will dissolve automatically.  See image below. This is how the glue will look like after left aside for 15 to 20 minutes. 
    A container of clear fondant glue with a green brush in it
    • Give the glue one last stir with the brush. Remove brush and close the container with its lid. 

    And your CMC glue is ready for use. 

    A small container of clear fondant glue

    Note:

    As I mentioned earlier, you can make this edible glue in advance and keep it for a few weeks. If you notice the glue getting thicker, you can always add a bit of water to bring it back to the right consistency. There really is not hard and fast rule about the right consistency for the glue but you would definitely not want it to be too runny that it takes a long time to dry and does not stick well or too thick that you get lumps of it on your fondant.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lakshmi

      December 13, 2020 at 11:28 am

      Thanks for the detailed explanation.

      Reply
      • Priya

        December 13, 2020 at 7:47 pm

        Thank you Lakshmi 🙂

        Reply
    2. Rebecca

      March 14, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Thank you for the tutorial. Could I use this glue to stick a plaque made from modelling paste to a cake covered in buttercream?

      Reply
      • Priya

        March 14, 2021 at 3:16 pm

        Hi Rebecca,

        This glue will only work when sticking fondant to fondant. If you want to stick a plaque made of modelling paste to buttercream covered cake, you can simply attach the plaque to the buttercream without any 'glue'. The buttercream will hold the plaque in place (provided the buttercream has not crusted and the plaque not too heavy). If the buttercream has crusted, simply apply some shortening to the plaque and attach it to the buttercream cake. This always works for me. Hope this helps 🙂

        Reply
    3. Amy

      February 05, 2022 at 9:06 am

      Does this work for adhering fondant petals to a gum paste cone?

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        February 05, 2022 at 9:36 am

        Hi Amy,

        Yes, it should work for fondant and gum paste.

        Reply
    4. Olly

      March 24, 2022 at 10:45 am

      Hi Priya, can this work as glue for attaching fondant to cake?

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        July 12, 2022 at 11:30 pm

        Hi Olly,
        This glue is not meant to attach fondant to the cake.

        Reply

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