How to Soften Hard Sugarpaste for Cake Decorating Success!

Picture the scene. You're working on a dreamy winter wedding cake and it's time to get decorating. Your couple have opted for a classic fondant covered design, and you're ready to dive in. It's icy cold outside but you're all good - you're cosy in your kitchen! What isn't so good? Your fondant. Figuring out how to soften hard sugarpaste in cold weather can be a challenge.

But fear not! It doesn't have to be intimidating. We've rounded up five easy ways to bring back that perfect sugarpaste consistency for cake decorating success.

1. Consider your storage

While sugarpaste should be stored in a cool and dry location, this can be trickier in winter! Consider the temperature of the location you are storing it in. Does it feel a little like the North Pole in there?!

If so, try to find a slightly warmer (but not hot!) place to store it during the coldest weather. It might feel strange as we know you'll have your set places for every ingredient - organisation is key when cake decorating, right? But trust us, this will make your life much easier. It's such a simple way to soften hard sugarpaste in advance!

2. Leave time for it to acclimate

In some cases, especially in the peak of winter, it just isn't possible to store it anywhere but a cold room. Or, it might be that you've placed an order and the decorating is set to begin as soon as your sugarpaste arrives. If it has been transported in cold conditions, it'll likely arrive hard.

If this is the case, leave some time for it to acclimate! Ideally, you want it to reach room temperature before you use it, so don't rush. Often this will be enough to bring it back to that perfect consistency for rolling out!

3. Use your microwave (with caution!)

Another way to soften hard sugarpaste is to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. It's amazing what a difference this can make!

But proceed with caution! You don't want to overheat it, so only microwave for a few seconds at a time, checking in between. In most cases, it shouldn't require more than a few seconds total!

4. Start with small pieces of sugarpaste

Couture Ambassador Kerry Hemms (from Angel's Kitchen), winner of Best in Show at Cake International 2023 shared her method with us...

Using a sharp knife, slice off a small section of paste. Either knead each small section separately or pile them up and microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Kerry Hemms

Like anything else, starting small and building up will make it much easier to work with. Don't make life more difficult for yourself by trying to do it all at once. A little patience goes a long way!

5. Good old fashioned kneading!

And last, but certainly not least, a bit of good old fashioned kneading can do the trick! Use the warmth of your hands to work the paste and restore pliability.

This step, especially combined with any one of the above, should have you on your way to perfectly workable sugarpaste icing in no time.

We hope this guide was helpful! Using these simple tips to soften hard sugarpaste, decorating cakes in winter should no longer be a chore!

And we can't wait to see your next sugarpaste covered cake - don't forget to tag us in your instagram snaps, and use the hashtag #CakeDecFamous so we don’t miss them!

Looking for more inspo?

How to Cover a Cake in Sugarpaste - with Emily Hankins

Introducing a Cake Essential - The Newly Rebranded Couture Sugarpaste

What's the Difference between Sugarpaste, Modelling Paste and Flower Paste