The term “gunge” has become something of a verb around the shop. As in:
“Oh, crap, I just accidentally jabbed my finger in the cake!” (It’s usually me who says that.)
“No problem! We’ll just gunge it up.” (That’s usually Callan.)
I got a lot of feedback on our original gunge formula. Many of you loved it, but plenty of you didn’t. One reader commented that there is no replacement for doing things right, and she’s absolutely correct. Gunge is meant to repair small nicks or imperfections, not an entire cake. If your cake is a jacked up, torn up, mess, you’ll probably spend less time (and get better results) by carefully removing the fondant, firming up the cake in the fridge, and starting over. (I’d be lying if I said this never happens to me, especially in the summer when the heat and humidity make fondant particularly testy.)
If you’ve tried our original formula gunge and it worked for you, great! But if you found that it dried differently from the fondant and was quite noticeable, here are some insights:
I first used gunge last summer on a groom’s cake and it worked like a charm. It was hot and humid, even in the kitchen with the A/C blasting, and the cake had been refrigerated overnight. My commercial fridge is pretty moist, so between the weather and the fridge the fondant had no chance of drying. When we took the cake out to apply the gunge, the fondant was quite glossy (from the combination of moisture and condensation) and its sheen matched the gunge perfectly.
Fondant absorbs moisture, even the moisture from inside the cake, so fondant on a real cake (as opposed to a dummy) will stay moist longer. Because dummy cakes contain no moisture, the fondant on a dummy dries very quickly, especially in dry weather, and the wet gunge will be more noticeable, which is exactly what happened to me the second time I gunged. #fail
Other reasons your gunge might not be working include:
1. The brand of fondant. Some have lower water contents, so adding water to it will create a finish that is considerably more shiny.
2. Climate. Gunge might work better in areas with more humidity since the fondant retains more moisture.
3. The amount of water added to your gunge. The more water, the less likely to match the fondant.
If you’re determined to make original gunge work for you, here are a few things to try. Major disclaimer: I have not tried #2 or #3 and am simply sharing readers’ suggestions. Be sure to experiment with these before using.
1. Refrigerate your cake to retain the moisture. This way it will be more “wet” and will match the gunge.
2. Mix your fondant with vodka or grain alcohol instead of water. They both have lower water contents and will dry faster.
3, Instead of adding liquid, microwave the fondant until soft and melty. (Be careful not to touch it as it can be scalding hot.)
Of course, that’s all fine and well, but luckily my wonderful, fabulous, and quite brilliant assistant Callan, has come up with a new way to make gunge!
Now: New & Improved Gunge
The difference is that new and improved gunge is made with Crisco so it doesn’t contain additional water. (Crisco, found in the U.S., is 100% vegetable fat. I just got quite an education about world-wide Crisco equivalents thanks to facebook. Outside the U.S. it is also called Trex/UK, White Woodenspoon or Holsum/South Africa, Palmin soft/Germany, Kremalta/New Zealand, Frida/Colombia, gordura vegetal/Brazil, Crisol/Panama, Solite or Sno Creme/Australia, and Manteca chantillí Danec or Marva crema/Ecuador). The result is a perfectly pliable, mushy paste that can fill cracks, holes and stray marks but won’t be visible. (Note that it will not dry the way fondant–or even fondant with water–will dry because the fat won’t evaporate. As always, test this new method on an inconspicuous spot or on a test cake rather than smack dab in the front and center of your best friend’s wedding cake.)
Here’s your new ratio:
1 part fondant (we used 1 ounce) to anywhere from 3/4 part to 1 part Crisco depending on how soft you like your gunge.
Add Crisco to fondant.
Mush (a very technical term) fondant and Crisco on a flat surface. (We used an offset spatula.)
If you’re more the hands-on type like me, use your hands. (Warning: This is messy business. Feel free to wear gloves. Also, these are Callan’s hands. I only wish mine were so youthful, but thanks for thinking they might be mine.)
Continue to mush until a smooth and paste-like substance is achieved. Gunge should be soft and spreadable and the Crisco completely incorporated.
Use new gunge just like old gunge: to repair cracks, elephant skin, stray marks or nicks in your cake.
Important: You might still seeing a sheen due to the oils in the Crisco. Some of it will probably dissipate as it absorbs into the cake. You can also rub cornstarch on to absorb the fat and decrease the sheen. (Do on a test area first if using a very dark colored fondant.)
And here’s the finished cake we gunged:
Hope you have as much success with new gunge as we have.
Enjoy!
Diana
11 Dec 2015 12:12 am
Hi! Thank you for sharing this tip!! I’m new in this cake field and I have a lot of questions. It is not clear to me how do you level and then remove the excess of gunge. I see that you put a generous amount of it on the cake but the next picture is the finished cake. Can you guide me here? TIA!
Erica OBrien
19 Dec 2015 12:12 pm
We use a painting palette knife flush against the cake.
lebone
27 Nov 2015 04:11 pm
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve just started decorating cakes for family and my last one had all the flaws. I tried to cover most of them with polka dots, but i still noticed every single one. My family loves me so they pretended not to notice. But it drove me crazy. Glad that there’s something i could try if the fondant fights back next time.
Ashley A
14 Nov 2015 09:11 am
This stuff saved my cake!!! I used fondant to cover a 6 inch tier, but I think the fondant was a little dried out because there were cracks EVERYWHERE. The gunge was like spackle – it worked perfectly!! Thank you so much for the tip!!
yinka
20 Sep 2015 09:09 am
Quite creative!!!
Mildred
14 Sep 2015 01:09 pm
Does it work for colored fondant?
Thanks 😉
Erica OBrien
16 Sep 2015 08:09 am
Yes.
Janet Howard
03 Sep 2015 09:09 am
Can you use this gunge to cover water marks on fondant? I had to move a piece of fondant decoration and it left a mark.
Erica OBrien
19 Nov 2015 08:11 am
Are they more like blemishes on the cake or pock marks? It can be used to fill in any surface that lies below the surface of the cake–pock marks, nail marks, gouches, etc.
Bissane
08 Aug 2015 07:08 pm
this worked wonders on my tshirt cake, i had a tear at the sleeve level – i covered it up and then with the gunge was able to make it all blend!!!!
Thanks sharing this precious tip
linda willis
08 Aug 2015 06:08 pm
Can high ratio shortening work in place of the crisco.
thanks
Erica OBrien
29 Aug 2015 04:08 pm
I believe so.
KATHIE KUNZ
26 Jul 2015 03:07 am
Hi…thank you so much for the new Gung information. Love your cake! Would you please tell me what you used to achieve the technique on the top tier?
Erica OBrien
08 Jan 2016 04:01 pm
Honestly I wish I could remember! I think I used this PME strip cutter as an impression and gently pressed it into the fondant: http://amzn.to/1OF7EtX
Debbie Bradley
04 May 2015 05:05 pm
Thank you
I was just sitting here fussing about a slight tear at the top edge of my cake! Worked like a charm!
Erica OBrien
04 May 2015 07:05 pm
Yay!
Antoinette
28 Apr 2015 02:04 am
10x a lot for the good advice you give us.
Petra
27 Apr 2015 05:04 pm
JUst a little FYI if adding any shorting to the gunge and you need to touch up with a airbrush, or a colour then it won’t cover due to the shortening repelling the colour
Erica OBrien
27 Apr 2015 09:04 pm
Great tip! Thank you! I didn’t even think of that.
Erica OBrien
27 Apr 2015 09:04 pm
I would definitely advise people to make the gunge out of whatever color fondant they are working with.
Martha T
27 Apr 2015 02:04 pm
I had less than thrilling results with the original gunge, so I am very excited to try this formula. Thanks so much for sharing!
Erica OBrien
27 Apr 2015 04:04 pm
Sorry it didn’t work for you! Hopefully this one works out better.
Margaret Yale
27 Apr 2015 06:04 am
Hi
Great blog as usual. I have found that if you do require a matt finish, just lightly rubbing or brushing a little corn flower over the repair will help blend this in, works with water marks too.
Regards
Margaret