Wafer paper flowers for cake decorating have become more popular recently, but there are definitely some things that you have to consider before using them.
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What are wafer paper flowers?
Wafer paper flowers are edible cake decorations that are made from potato starch, vegetable oil, and water.
Wafer paper is food safe and it can be used to make flowers that are more delicate than gumpaste flowers.
You can cut out petal shapes, color them, and create flowers that are lightweight and less breakable than traditional gumpaste flowers.
The care and storage of wafer paper flowers is a little different than it is for sugar flowers, though, and they’re not the best choice for every situation. If it’s really, really humid, wafer paper might not be the best choice.
Are wafer paper flowers edible?
Wafer paper flowers are technically edible, but they don’t taste very good. They’re safe to use on cakes but they might contain inedible elements like wires, so it’s best to assume that they shouldn’t be eaten.
They also don’t taste like sugar. Sometimes people say that they brush them with vanilla, but that’s unlikely to actually happen because the paper will absorb moisture and wrinkle.
The paper itself tastes like communion wafers because it’s just starch, so it isn’t something that people will take a second bite of if they try to eat it.
If you have a lot of people who fight over the icing flowers coming to your party, they won’t be excited about the wafer paper flowers, for sure.
Should wafer paper flowers go in the fridge?
Wafer paper flowers don’t need to be refrigerated, there’s nothing perishable in them. Plus, the humidity in refrigerators could potentially make them absorb moisture and soften or warp.
Having said that, they can be refrigerated in home fridges for short periods of time since home reffrogerators aren’t as humid as commercial ones.
If the inside of the fridge is humid, it can make 3D wafer paper flowers wilt, so make sure that the fridge itself isn’t too humid inside.
If the flowers are flat flowers that are cutouts printed on a sheet of wafer paper, it’s probably fine to put them in the fridge overnight.
They’re usually used as cupcake toppers, or are attached flat to the surface of the cake, so they don’t have the same risk of losing their shape that 3D flowers do.
How should you store wafer paper flowers? How long do they last?
Store wafer paper flowers in a dry area away from humidity and moisture. The temperature isn’t as important as the humidity, because the starch in them will absorb moisture and that can change their shape. Wafer paper flowers don’t need to be refrigerated.
For 3D flowers, you should put them in a dry area at room temperature, or in a container that will keep them dry.
For 2D printed flowers, just keep them in an airtight container in a dry area at room temperature. I ship my printed flowers in resealable plastic bags, and they can be stored in the bags until it’s time to use them.
Wafer paper flowers will last forever as long as you don’t let them get wet. The paper might start to dry out a little over time, but since it’s just made from starch it doesn’t go bad or get “stale.”
The color on wafer paper flowers might start to fade if it’s in direct sunlight, so if you want to keep your flowers as a souvenir after the party, you should find a place to display them that doesn’t get a lot of direct light.
Where do I find wafer paper flowers for sale?
There are a lot of places and cake decorators who sell wafer paper flowers. You can obviously check the edible wafer paper flowers for cakes section of my website to see what I have in stock, but I only sell what I have on hand, I’m not doing custom orders right now.
If you’re looking for flat-printed flower cupcake toppers, I have a lot of those available to buy, and I make them and cut them out as they’re ordered.
For 3D flowers that would be good for a wedding cake or as a focal piece on a birthday cake or baby shower cake, I may have those but it depends what I’ve made recently.
If you can’t get the flowers that you’re looking for on my website, you can ask your baker if they’re able to make the flowers, or they might have another decorator who can make them for you.
Some decorators don’t use wafer paper since it’s not as traditional a material for flowers, and it’s a little tricky to make realistic ones.
If you want to try to make your own flowers, I would recommend giving yourself time to practice, because wafer paper is the kind of thing that looks easier than it is.
Check out the flower tutorials that I have here and on my YouTube channel, and give yourself time to work with some plain wafer paper.
It’s totally possible to make your own flowers, but the first ones that you do probably won’t look great. They’ll get better with practice!
What kind of wafer paper flowers are available?
The most common realistic wafer paper flowers are ones that are formed around a center, like roses and peonies. You can find some that have individual petals like orchids, but decorators tend to concentrate on the flowers that look fluffier because the thin wafer paper sheets are good for making that type of petal.
There’s also the “fantasy flower” type of wafer paper flower. Those are basically flowers that are more designer-y, they’re not meant to be realistic, but they’re more artistic and often more modern-looking.
They’re usually used as a single focus flower on a cake, or in a loose arrangement where a more artistic look is the goal.
I also make some large focus flowers that have printed patterns on the petals, and some with book illustrations and text, so the fantasy flowers are definitely not meant to be realistic!
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How much do wafer paper flowers cost?
Wafer paper flowers can be more expensive than real ones, depending on the level of realism in the design. The amount of time that goes into making a flower is the main cost, because the wafer paper itself isn’t that expensive.
When you buy wafer paper flowers, you’re really paying for the time and skill of the person who made them.
The least expensive option would be the flat edible flowers that just have to be printed and cut out. Those are the least time-consuming, so they’ll be the cheapest wafer paper flowers for sale.
The 3D flowers will be more expensive, and sometimes it’s not going to be the largest ones that you’ll pay the most for.
It’s pretty easy to make a simple rose that doesn’t have a lot of detail on it, but the more elaborate flowers with lots of petal detail will be more expensive. They take more time, so they just end up costing more.
