The terms “wafer paper” and “rice paper” are sometimes used interchangeably in cake decorating, but there’s a difference between the two things, and some versions aren’t edible!
It can be confusing, but understanding the difference will prevent you from buying the wrong thing for your project. So… what’s the difference between wafer paper and rice paper?
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Is wafer paper the same as rice paper?
No, Wafer paper and rice paper are not the same thing.
Wafer paper is a rectangular sheet of potato starch that is used to create printed images to apply to cakes or cookies.
Edible rice paper is round, made from rice powder and tapioca powder, and is used in Asian cooking to make spring rolls and other food items.
People sometimes refer to wafer paper as “rice paper,” but that’s a misnomer because it doesn’t contain any rice starch at all.
There are also non-edible types of rice paper that are used for artwork, screens, and other non-food applications, so the term “rice paper” can refer to a number of different types of paper, many of which are not made from rice either.
To make it more confusing, some edible rice paper is used to make specific types of edible decorations that can be used on cakes.
Is wafer paper edible? What about rice paper?
Wafer paper is 100% edible because it’s made from potato starch, vegetable oil, and water. You don’t need to do anything to it as far as cooking it goes, there’s nothing perishable in it.
When you eat wafer paper it will dissolve to a certain extent, but it doesn’t totally dissolve, you would chew it along with the confection that it’s attached to.
If wafer paper is attached to a cake or cookies, it can be eaten or removed before you eat the cake.
It’s vegan, gluten-free, and is used in a lot of candy and cookies that you eat without even realizing what it is, including Italian torrone.
Rice paper is also edible, but it’s usually cooked before eating it because it’s stiff until it absorbs water.
It’s most commonly used in Asian cooking for savory recipes.
What’s the main difference between wafer paper and rice paper?
Edible rice paper and edible wafer paper are made from different starches and behave in different ways.
Wafer paper is made from potato starch and has an opaque appearance, is more flexible, and can be printed on by using an edible ink printer.
Edible rice paper is made from rice and tapioca starches, is stiffer, and has a translucent appearance.
Both types of edible paper can be used for cake decorations, but wafer paper is more common for most cake decorating and confectionery uses.
When rice paper gets wet, it will be stretchy and limp, but you’ll still be able to manipulate it for a short time.
If it sticks to itself you’ll be able to pull it apart, it won’t be completely unworkable.
To use rice paper you need to immerse it in a bowl of warm water to soften it, and wafer paper wouldn’t be able to stand up to that amount of water and still be usable.
When wafer paper gets wet, it will absorb the moisture and will essentially melt into a shapeless and unworkable starchy mass.
If it sticks to itself it will probably ruin it, and you need to be very careful to control the moisture levels when you’re working with it.
Immersing it in a bowl of water the way that you do with rice paper can easily destroy it and make it totally useless.
Using the sheets for cake decorating.
Wafer paper is used to print images on using a food coloring ink printer, or to make wafer paper flowers.
Wafer paper sheets come in different thicknesses, and are shaped like a regular sheet of paper.
You can print patterns on them to use for cake wraps, paint on them, or cut shapes out to use for cupcake toppers and other cake decorations.
The sheets are stiff yet flexible, and you can roll them up like a regular sheet of paper, depending on the thickness.
Rice paper is generally sold in rounds, and the texture is stiff until you soak it in water.
You can cut the rounds with scissors, but trying to put them through a printer won’t work because they won’t feed through correctly.
They generally have a pattern on them that will disappear when you soak the sheet in water, and you can color the wet sheets with food coloring to tint them.
Rice paper is used to make the rice paper sails that are popular on cakes, but other than that, there aren’t a lot of cake decorating applications that they’re used for.
For an article about making rice paper sails, click here.
Is rice paper good for cake decorating?
Because rice paper is thicker than an average sheet of wafer paper, and because it’s translucent, it’s not necessarily the best choice for all uses.
It can be used to create stylized flower petals and flowers, and more abstract shapes, but it has limited uses for cake decorating.
When it dries after being moistened and softened it’s still stiff and it isn’t appetizing to eat because of that. Chewing it is like eating dried pasta, so it’s not a pleasant experience.
Most cake decorators have never worked with real edible rice paper, because it’s just not something that is commonly used for cake decorating.
The trend of rice paper “sails,” which are sheets of rice paper that have been softened in water, then dried in a wavy or fan shape and colored, has brought people’s attention to the difference between the two media, so people are more aware of it.
How to shape wafer paper and rice paper
To shape both wafer paper and rice paper, you need to use moisture to soften it, then let it dry in the final shape that you need for your project.
Both wafer paper and rice paper will keep the shape that they were in when they dried, and they can be used to make flower petals, fans, and other shapes.
When both types of starch paper dry after being wet, their texture will be stiffer than the original piece because of how starch reacts with water.
Mixing a starch with hot water will eventually create a gel, which is why starches are used as a thickener, or to make edible glue.
Making pieces that stand up from the cake or cupcakes can be done fairly easily by taking advantage of this stiffening effect, but using too much water can ruin wafer paper, so it’s important to be careful with how much you apply.
Shaping wafer paper.
For shaping wafer paper, you can also use vodka instead of water, which will evaporate faster and can prevent you from destroying the wafer paper.
It’s easier to put wafer paper in place then moisten it so that it conforms to the shape of the thing it’s sitting on and can dry in that position.
I use this method to make wafer paper flower petals using a veining mat or petal veiners. Place the petal on the veiner, spray it with vodka, then let it dry in place. The petals will dry with the veined pattern on them.
Shaping rice paper.
To soften and shape rice paper, the instructions are to put the stiff sheet in a bowl of warm water for about 15 seconds.
Absorbing the water turns the stiff sheet into a gelatinous disc, and you can place it over a silicone mat or a piece of waxed paper to dry in different shapes.
This is how people create the rice paper sails and other stiff shapes that are used in some cake designs.
Which type is better for edible flowers?
You can make flowers with both types of edible paper, but they’ll look and feel very different because of the texture of both materials after they dry.
Wafer paper will look more realistic, but rice paper is more translucent, so it will make flowers that look very stylized.
You’ll be able to manipulate the petals of wafer paper flowers, but rice paper is going to remain stiff and will break if you try to bend them.
Wafer paper is much more sensitive to humidity and will change its shape a lot faster than edible rice paper.
Rice paper is stiffer, so it takes a lot more moisture to make it wilt. That makes it a good choice for decorations that stand up off of the cake and need to resist sagging and wilting for longer periods of time.
The rice paper sails that I mentioned earlier are a good example of this type of decoration. Wafer paper can be used that way, but if it’s humid, the decorations can sag and ruin the design of the cake.
What about other types of rice paper?
When you’re buying edible paper for your cake decorating project you should stick with wafer paper that’s made from potato starch.
Rice paper can refer to the edible spring roll wrappers that I’ve been talking about here, but there are also a lot of different types of paper that are referred to as “rice paper,” and not all of them are edible, or are even made with rice.
Even if you do buy the edible rice wrappers, they don’t behave the same way that wafer paper does, and you won’t be able to use it for the same types of cake decorations.
So unless a decoration calls specifically for real rice paper, stick with wafer paper for the best result!
Wafer paper supply list:
Shop for materials to make wafer paper flowers on Amazon (#ad):
- Wafer paper, white or colored
- Silicone flower center molds
- Petal veiners
- Petal dust
- Floral wire
- Tylose glue
- Fluffy paintbrushes
- Flower former
- Craft scissors
- Liquid Food Coloring
- Food-grade glycerin to make wafer paper conditioner
- Corn starch
- Flower paper punches
- Steamer to shape wafer paper
