In this two part video, you will learn to make beautiful wafer paper flowers, a growing trend in cake decorating. Wafer paper is a tasteless, edible paper made from potato starch, vegetable oil, and water.
With the techniques, you can make an endless variety of delicate, lightweight accents for your cakes. I really enjoyed creating the flowers that you will see in this tutorial, and cannot wait to continue experimenting with this versatile medium. Enjoy the video!
Materials:
(I am using cake dummies in my video that are frosted with a crusting buttercream (high ratio recipe). To give you an idea of the dimensions, the large white flower is on an 8″ round, The large pink rose is on 8″,6″ tiers, and the three tiered cakes are 8″,6″, and 4″.)
Wafer Paper: This can be found online in a number of online cake supply shops. I found my pack of 8×11 sheets HERE. –
Circle Punch & Flower/Daisy Punch- I used a 3.5″ circle punch to create petals for the large white flower and large pink flower. I used a “daisy punch” for the patterned flowers on my 3 tiered cake. These punches are not made specifically for wafer paper or cake decorating. I bought them on the scrapbooking aisle of Michael’s. You could cut your shapes out with scissors if you prefer, but the punches greatly speed up the process!
Water or Vodka – This acts as adhesive for your petals, and also creates movement. I use vodka but water works very well also.
Coloring Gel: I used Americolor Deep Pink & Americolor Bright White
Dragees and Sugar Pearls – Optional. I used gold dragees (8mm India Tree) for my white flower, and sugar pearls accents for my 2 tiered cake.
Lollipop Sticks- I used a lollipop stick for my white flower.
Scissors- Sharp, thin scissors are good for cutting out your shapes.
Paint brushes- I used for painting designs on my flowers as well as for dampening my petals
Fondant: I used small balls of fondant for centers on my patterned flowers.
Piping Gel- (Or your “glue” of choice). I used for attaching my fondant centers.
Cake Combs- Optional. I used a set of Wilton cake combs in the tutorial for combing my buttercream.
In Part One: Learn to make a beautiful large flower and pattered blossoms…
In Part Two: Learn to make beautiful, simple roses with dramatic results!
Great tutorial! I’ve seen the wafer paper used for several different decorative items and they seem to be quite forgiving and easy to work with. Love the fact that they don’t take near as much time to dry as does gum paste.
Thank you!! Yes, I think that we are going to see more and more wafer paper creations in cake decorating. It really is a great option to have– easy to work with and I love how quickly these flowers came together! I’m sure we’ll do some more experimenting in the near future! ;0)
Hello great tutorial! I have to make 3 ( 4″ 6″ 8″) cakes like these, what would be the serving sizes for these, do you go by a certain serving chart this gets all so confusing to me. Thanks in advance.
The flowers (and cakes) are beautiful and very creative! Great tutorial – as always!
Thank you!!
@yummy23~ Approx 28 “party” servings (1.5x 2″). I go by Wilton’s Party serving chart–here’s a link to our “Helpful Links” section–you’ll see it there (along with Earlene Moore’s chart and Wilton’s Wedding chart)-
https://www.mycakeschool.com/helpful-links/
Also, a really helpful resource if you have an iPhone is the Tiered Caker App (look in the ads in my right side bar)– You can customize it to the size servings you’d like and the pans you have, etc. I love it for a fast reference.
**One more thing just in case this applies to you… the tall 6″ dummy tier in my video for the 3 tiered cake was more of a “double barrel” size. (Double barrel cakes are so tall that you need to divide the cake about halfway up with a cake board and supports beneath). So, if you were to make a double barrel 6″ it would serve more…closer to double what a standard 6″ cake would yield.
I tried one sheet from Michaels , Edible Decorating Paper and it broke when I tried to wrap it and it wouldn’t hold. Was that different paper? I was just trying it before ordering from your site. It seemed thick also. Will I use 100 sheets? Hummm.Love the flowers though.
Hi Nancy- Yes, the paper at Michael’s is different. Wafer paper is thinner and reacts differently to moisture. I did order the pack of 100 sheets. Each flower that you make may only take 2-3 sheets worth at most depending on the size. Still, the price is good at around $16 for 100 sheets…you will be able to make lots of flowers. Also, if you have a cake business, the pack will pay for itself almost immediately assuming that you charge extra for your flowers (which you should!) ;0)
Am I the only one who can’t run the video on ipad?
Hi Paper & Flour– I’m sorry that you are having trouble! I checked & was able to view on my ipad and iphone but just re-posted the videos to see if that reset whatever it is that is causing your issue. Can you try again? If this doesn’t solve things, send us an e-mail at info@mycakeschool.com and I’ll see what more we can do to help you!
Hi Melissa/Bebe,
I was wondering about the height of the cakes used in the three tiered one? I know their diameters are 4″, 6″ and 8″ but I just need to know their height pls.
Thanks Melissa, I just ordered the correct paper. No business but should have fun putting flowers on everything! Haha
Hi Temo, The 8″ tier is two inches tall, 6″ tier is 6 inches tall ( a double barrel tier) and the 4″ top tier is 4 inches tall. In case you are not familiar with double barrel, it is a taller than usual cake that has a cardboard cake circle about halfway up, with dowels or supports beneath.
Love it. I have a bunch of wafer paper. Haven’t used it lately, I’ll definitely be pulling it out again.
Awesome Videos.
Hello my daughter n myself are trying to make extra money makeong cakes the work involved is unbelievable! After my Husband her Father n my Dad her Grandfather passin this last year8 months apart so need to keep buisy
I love to make my mother in law recipe for home made yeast rolls!
Super stunning Thank you so much I can not wait to try…
These were really pretty and will try making them
Can I use rice papers instead of wafer ?
Can i use rice paper instead of wafer paper ?
After watching the first video, I have a question. The placement of the white flower went kind of quickly and I’m wondering if that was the flower that was on the lollipop stick or the other flower that was already made when the video started? Does the lollipop stick get cut or do you stab it down into the cake?
Thanks!
Hey Melissa, I’m having a hard time viewing the videos.. Only the picture comes up with no option to press play? I’ve never had a problem with any of your other videos, so I’m not sure what’s going on.. Thanks
Nice job. So delicate flowers bring a simple cake to a complete elegant look. I wonder if frosting sheets will wonder the same?
Thanks
Nice! Such an easy way to make a large flower quickly.
Thank you Melissa! Great tutorial!! I can’t wait to try it.
Hi Melissa. Can’t wait to try this!! Can you flavor the wafer paper? My son is getting married this summer and the bride would like peonies on the cake. Any ideas? Thank you
What a great prize. I have one of the first Kitchenaid stand up mixers and could not do without it. I love baking and since I found and joined your website, have been baking up a storm. I started with your cupcke tutorial an have now moved on to cakes. I have made a couple of fondant birthday cakes and have now been asked to make a three tier wedding cake. None of this would be possible without your website and my trusty Kitchenaid
Anyone who bakes will love to win this, including me
Cakes for my grandchildren and great grandchild.
The possibilities are endless!
Love to make cakes and sweets and my husbandmakes homemade noodles. Would love to win the mixer but the handmixer would be great too.
Wafer paper is that the same as rice paper, or is it something different
Thanks for this tutorial. I can’t wait to try this technique out! Beautiful work….as always.
Hi Melissa, I can’t play the tutorial, there is a line through the play signal on it ! Any idea what’s wrong?
Hi there I couldn’t view it on my iPhone either…
Keeps saying to “log in to view”and I am already logged in! Lol
hi ,
can you please guide me how we can make a layered cake.how we can judge that how much batter we need to make 6 layered cake.thanks,waiting for your reply
asra
@GerriW & Tamara– I’m sorry you’ve had trouble with viewing! Are things better for you now? Just send me an e-mail if you are having trouble & we’ll see if we can figure things out for you. (These are playing on my iphone & laptop as usual but maybe you need an update.) – Thanks!!
@Asra~ Here is a link to Wilton’s Party Serving Chart:
http://www.wilton.com/cakes/making-cakes/baking-party-cake-2-inch-pans.cfm
You’ll see a column for batter amounts per pan (for 2 inch pans) for a two layer cake. This will give you an idea of the amount of batter needed to give you a 4″ tall cake in a variety of sizes. (Of course you can split your layers after they are baked if you’d like additional (thinner) layers, or distribute the same amount of batter over more pans.
Thanks a lot Melissa for your reply, love all your tutorials, and the cakes in this one are very pretty and elegant.
I tried to use the wafer paper tonight and every time I applied the vodka, it would crumble. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Mary- I’m sorry that you are having trouble, give it a try with water and see if you like that better…you don’t need much moisture at all, especially with water because it takes longer to dry. Is it crumbling as you try to roll it (as with the roses)? There may be a small learning curve as you get used to working with the wafer paper, but after experimenting a bit, I think you will really like it.
Is wafer paper anything like sugar sheets?? Could you use sugar sheets instead?
@gracie~ That’s a good question, but no, the wafer paper is much thinner than sugar sheets. I find wafer paper to be easier to work with, not to mention much less expensive. Sugar sheets are stiffer and thicker, and are not as versatile in creating delicate flowers & ruffles.
Damn it! I am having problems trying to view this video :(
Hi, I have been reading about different thickness of wafer paper, do you know how many millimeters of weight is the one you used? I read that o.22 mm is the one to use for flowers also called size 0.Thanks! Lissette
Hi Lissette, Our wafer paper says O Grade, I guess that refers to size. We order from countrykitchensa.com.
Thank you BeBe, that is just what I need, keep up the exquisite work!
Hi Melissa,
Great tutorial, I love it but I’m having a problem with the large white flower. Mine kind of looks like a large cone. Please help.
Could you tell me how you store your wafer paper once the package is opened?
Hi wed1121, we have ours in a zip-lock bag that was put into a plastic air tight container ……..stored on a shelf out of sunlight.
Can we use Everclear rather than vodka? I have a huge bottle of Everclear. Ha ha!!
Hi TerriLynn– Ha! That should work (and dry very quickly) :0) – I would do some experimenting.
how far in advance can you make wafer paper decorations? and can i airbrush them instead hand painting? If I can make them ahead of time. how will i have to store them. I learn soo much from you. The cake i plan on making is need for Jan. 28th, i wanted to get the decorations done ahead of time.
Thank You Soo Much
Hi Caroljup, yes you can airbrush them lightly. Just keep in mind that the more moisture you add, the more prone to curling the wafer paper becomes. You can go ahead and make your flowers at any time for your Jan 28th cake. I would just keep them in a dry place out of sunlight. Have fun experimenting!