What is edible wafer paper and what can it be used for ?
I was quite a few months into my wafer paper journey when someone asked me whether the flowers I'm making are edible. Obviously I wasn't obvious enough with my descriptions before. So here is a complete blog about what edible wafer paper is. I hope this answers some questions you may have about this new cake decorating ingredient.
A bit of a history of edible wafer paper
Wafer paper is made of potato starch, oil and water.
During the Renaissance, flavoured wafer paper was served as a dessert. It was a luxury food that only the aristocracy and upper-middle class could afford.
Nowadays, cake artists have been using it for cake decorating purposes for a while. But it's only very recently that it started gaining more popularity. Many modern couples opt for edible wafer paper cakes to give an extraordinary look to their wedding cake.
What is edible wafer paper?
Wafer paper is an edible paper for cake decorating, typically starch-based. It is vegan, gluten-free, and free from most allergens. In texture it's a bit like printer paper, but it is edible.
It’s safe to eat and the flavour is very subtle — so it won’t interfere with what’s going on in your cake. By the way, this description is by Anna Astashkina who is one of the biggest experts in wafer paper cake designs.
What is edible wafer paper used for?
1. Edible wafer paper prints
Wafer paper was the first medium used for edible printed images. But only until a few years ago, then the much better quality icing sheets appeared.
2. Wafer paper flowers
In appearance wafer paper flowers are more delicate than traditional sugar paste or icing flowers. Wafer paper is first conditioned with liquid to make it flexible and then it is manipulated into beautiful florals and used for contemporary cake designs.
They are also lightweight and less breakable and can be made into the most elegant and dainty cake decorations.
3. Wafer paper quilling
Quilling is a whole different craft. But because edible wafer paper is very much like printing paper it can be cut into strips and made into coils. Then these coils are turned into different shapes to create breath-taking modern cake designs.
4. Edible wafer paper textures
Textures can be achieved by crunching, steaming or frying wafer paper for example. However, the most used wafer paper texture in my kitchen is wafer paper flakes. Wafer paper sheets are first blended in a blender and this is glued onto the outside of the cake. It looks a bit like shredded coconut. This really gives a luxurious look to any cake.
5. Edible wafer paper stencils
This is one of my favourite techniques. Very simple but an effective way of creating a wow factor.
A pattern is cut out of wafer paper sheets than wrapped around the cake using edible glue to stick it on. Edible wafer paper stencils can look great on their own or they could be paired with matching elements. Just like on this recent project I did. I used a rose patterned stencil and then added fresh roses to complete the look.
The reason I like working with this new form of cake decorating ingredient is because it can be turned into frills, ruffles, rosettes, feathers, quilling, graceful flowers and many more. It's so great for cake decorating.
Hope you found this blog helpful and cleared any questions about edible wafer paper you might have had. I'd love to hear your thoughts about wafer paper so don't hesitate to drop me an email or to enquire about a cake fill in the contact form here.
By for now,
Hajni
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