Lindy's Cakes Ltd

Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen

How and when should you use pastillage and what is the recipe?

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Have you heard of Pastillage? When talking to my students in class, or engaging in conversations with enthusiastic cake decorators on social media, I often find either no one has heard of it or that they have, but they think it’s a paste that’s bit perplexing. The questions I’m often asked include:

  • What is pastillage?
  • How and when do I use it?
  • Where can I buy it?
  • How do I make it – what is the recipe?

Pastillage is nothing new, it’s origins are said to date as far back as the 1700s. In simple terms, pastillage is a type of icing made of sugar. It is a paste, like a sugarpaste or modelling paste, but unlike other pastes, it dries extremely hard.

Red sugar heart made from pastillage so it will not wilt once placed on buttercream
Red sugar heart made from pastillage so it will not wilt once placed on buttercream

I use pastillage to make rigid sugar pieces that extend above or to the side of a cake or cupcake. In my cake decorating books, you can see pastillage pieces being used in all sorts of ways – can I suggest you take a look. I find it an extremely useful paste as it’s not affected by moisture the way other pastes are. It withstands a certain degree of humidity.

Teapot cake from Lindy Smith's creative colour for cake decorating book
The handle of this teapot is modelled from pastillage to keep it rigid but still be edible

You can buy pastillage in a powdered form, to which you add water, but it is easy to make yourself. There are a number of recipes but this is the one I have always used, it is simple and quick to make and works a treat:

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Pastillage Recipe

Ingredients Makes 350g (12oz)
1 egg white
300g (11oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
10ml (2 tsp) gum tragacanth

  1. Put the egg white into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Gradually add enough icing sugar until the mixture combines together into a ball.
  3. Mix in the gum tragacanth, and then turn the paste out on to a work board or work surface and knead the paste well.
  4. Incorporate the remaining icing sugar into the remainder of pastillage to give a stiff paste.
Pastillage petals and butterfly from Lindy's celebrate with a cake book
Pastillage petals and butterfly give this flower a lovely 3D effect

Store your pastillage in a polythene bag placed in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to one month.

NOTE: The paste crusts over very quickly when you are using it and it is brittle once dry, so make plenty of spares.

I hope the video above, which was originally filmed as a Facebook live broadcast, answers your questions. However, if you’d like to know more or would like to share your experiences please leave a comment in the box below.

when to use pastillage and recipe it

Hoping you feel inspired.
Happy baking and decorating
Lindy

Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen

About Lindy Smith

Award winning, best-selling author and sugarcraft artist, who loves to design beautiful colourful cakes, inspire, teach and supply you with gorgeous products.

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Comments

  7. Julie Kennett says

    Hiya Lindy,

    I met you about 5yrs ago at the Cake and Bake show in the press area and you were lovely and answered my questions. I have just made a square cake that turned out so perfectly that when I posted it on a cake group I belong to I had a lot of people ask me what recipe I used. I directed them to your cake decorating bible and even put a picture of the cover to avoid any mistakes. I think there may be a few people buying it because the post is at over 600 likes haha.

  9. Grace Eze says

    Hi Lindy, I love your creativity. Your works are so unique and great. I’m doing so well in cake decorations because I have your book. Thanks so much.

  10. Lindy Smith says

    Hi Grace, thank you for your kind words. I am very pleased to hear you are doing well and find my books helpful – did you know I’ve written fifteen!