CMC stands for carboxymethyl cellulose. It's a fine powder that makes the sugar paste thicker/firmer (the formed parts hold the shape better) and speeds-up the drying time. Other names for CMC are tylose powder and tylo powder.
CMC is NOT the same thing as gum tragacanth. CMC is a synthetic substitute for gum tragacanth. CMC works quicker than gum tragacanth, so you don't have to wait many hours for the paste to get thicker/firmer.
CMC is NOT the same thing as gum tragacanth. CMC is a synthetic substitute for gum tragacanth. CMC works quicker than gum tragacanth, so you don't have to wait many hours for the paste to get thicker/firmer.
The amount you need to use depends on:
- The type and brand of paste you are using (the softer the paste, the more you need to add) .
- The part you want to make:
- parts that support the weight of other parts should have more CMC
- parts that don't support any weight don't need that much CMC.
- The amount of modelling involved:
- more complex shapes require more time to model, so the paste should be a little softer
- simple shapes f.ex. a flattened oval, don't require a lot of time to model, so you can add more CMC.
- Your preferences:
- some cake decorators prefer to work with softer paste and let it dry for longer
- some cake decorators prefer thicker paste that dries out faster.