Cake makers, I am curious about something . . . .

[lucysmam]

I have been reading on an American cake decorating forum this afternoon & everyone (that I have read) on there suggested using shortening to stop their fondant/sugarpaste icing from sticking to the worktop.

Does it work as well as or better than icing sugar? Is Trex or something along those lines what they mean? & does it show up on the icing?

Just curious, because if it is Trex, I would assume that a block of that stuff would last far longer than a box of icing sugar does at the moment with all my cake experiments in the kitchen.

TIA for any light that you can shed on this

Evening! I've never heard of that, but I usually use corn flour and it does fair better than icing sugar.

Hi lucysmam,

Yes, shortening is like trex - it is hydorgenated vegetable fat, so I'm guessing they use it as an ingredient in the icing, rather than as something sprinkled to stop sticking.

And, I would run a mile from it as it is vile stuff, horrid tasting and very very bad for your health!

I did a quick google as I was interested and it seems that shortening is more similar to margarine rather than Trex. Is Trex more like lard/block fat?

Evening Maureen, how's tricks?

Do you use cornflour in the same way as icing sugar? Although I'm nearly out of that as well!

I might pop some of each in my shopping basket & try them out. I seem to be using near enough a box each cake (dread to think how much I'll actually go through covering a cake in bc!)

oh, I'll stear clear after reading your posts LaundryFairy & cremeegg! Cornflour it is!

I'm ok thanks! Yes, I just use cornflour instead of icing sugar on the work surface and rolling pin. It's a damn site cheaper than wasting your icing sugar too!

Right, cornflour it is then! I did wonder a while back, but never got round to asking so carried on with the icing sugar.

Cheers Maureen