Edible wafer paper has become popular for decorating cakes and cupcakes, especially with designs like butterflies, cake wraps, and cutout decorations.
I used to sell printed wafer paper, and I bought some from Amazon to compare them with mine. I’ll cover everything you need to know about edible wafer paper butterflies, how they differ, and tips for using them safely.
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What printed wafer paper is.
Wafer paper isn’t real paper, it’s a sheet of potato starch that has been processed, dried, and printed.
It’s thin, flexible, and you can eat it but it doesn’t really dissolve. The ingredients are usually potato starch, vegetable oil, and water.
Some varieties may contain flavorings, but that’s not the norm, and most wafer paper is generally plain and tasteless.
Usually, one side of the paper is printed, and the other is blank. Sometimes both sides can be printed but most of the butterflies that I made were printed on one side.
If you want to make two-sided butterflies, you can read about that here: How to make two-sided edible butterflies
Problems with edible printers.
Up until recently, I sold physical edible wafer paper decorations that were printed wafer paper sheets or cutout shapes.
One of the reasons that I stopped selling those is that edible ink printers are a big pain in the butt.
If you don’t use them daily, they clog up easily since the ink is food coloring and doesn’t have the same chemicals as regular ink.
The chemicals that keep regular ink flowing through the print head are toxic, so the food coloring inks clog the print head up all the time.
You have to clean them out all the time, and there isn’t a good way to prevent clogs from happening.
When I see a company selling edible wafer paper flowers and butterflies in large quantities, my suspicion is that they’re probably using regular ink!
I don’t know for sure, but even if that’s what’s going on it’s okay as long as the ink doesn’t touch the cake, and nobody eats the decorations.
That’s the tricky part, though, so read on for how to handle that.
The difference between handmade and mass-produced butterflies.
When it comes to wafer paper butterflies, there’s a difference between handcrafted ones and mass-produced options from Amazon or similar sites. Here are some of the key differences:
Handcrafted wafer paper butterflies
Thin and flexible: When I made them by hand, I used wafer paper that I bought and printed myself. The butterflies were light and bendable because I chose the grade of wafer paper that I used.
Controlled quality: I controlled the size, print, and overall look, and I customized them so that they looked realistic.
Safe to eat: I used known food-grade materials and edible inks.
Mass-produced butterflies
Thicker and stiff: The mass-produced butterflies that I bought to test out are much thicker and may even crack if bent.
Slick surface: Some of the ones I bought have a coated or glossy surface, which isn’t typical of regular wafer paper. I’m assuming that it’s a type of wafer card, but I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a shiny side on any wafer paper that I’ve bought myself to print.
Uncertain inks: While the paper may be edible, it’s hard to verify if the ink is truly food-safe. Unless you can see the paper being printed and see what ink is being used, there’s no way to know.
Lack of designs to choose from: If you look on sites like Etsy, there are a lot of people selling “handmade” edible butterflies. The truth is that they’re not handmade, they’re being purchased from Amazon and resold at a higher price on Etsy. This basically ends up in a limited number of designs being available, since everyone is buying them from the same places.
Mostly non-US sourced materials: Most of the butterflies that I’ve seen on Amazon are made in China, so they don’t have the same regulations as US manufacturers (if there are any.) The labelling can say one thing but something else might be going on, you never know.
Stolen listing photos: There are Amazon sellers who stole my listing photos and put them on their listings. The reviews on those products all pretty much said that the product they received didn’t look like the photos, which makes total sense since the photos were stolen. Make sure to read the reviews when you buy anything!
Are mass-market edible butterflies safe to use?
For decoration, yes, they’re fine as long as the ink (which might be regular printer ink, who knows) However, I wouldn’t recommend eating some of the mass-produced butterflies for several reasons:
Unclear ingredients: Some don’t list all ingredients, especially the ink. The unprinted side is fine to put on cupcakes and cakes, but I wouldn’t eat the decorations because of the unknown ingredients.
Small size: These butterflies are often much smaller than they appear in product photos. That’s fine unless you needed a specific size, but if you do need larger ones, make sure to check to see if they have measurements listed. If they don’t, you can assume that they’re smaller than you think they are.
If you use these decorations, it’s best to remove them before serving the cake or cupcakes.
Tips for using wafer paper butterflies
Check the size: Always read product descriptions carefully to understand the size.
Avoid eating mass-produced options: Even if they’re labeled as edible, it’s safer to remove them before serving.
DIY options: If you want more control, consider making your own butterflies with known edible materials. Or buy them from someone who makes their own. Write to ask them if they make them or resell ones that they purchased.
Painting tips: You can add gold dust or edible paint to the thicker butterflies for a more luxurious look. Just remove them before serving if the dust isn’t labeled as food-safe.
Edible wafer paper butterflies are a beautiful way to decorate cakes and cupcakes. Whether you buy them or make them yourself, just be mindful of what’s in them. If you’re using mass-produced decorations, remove them before serving to ensure safety.
Have questions or want more tips on decorating with edible wafer paper? Leave a comment, and I’ll be happy to help! I also have a lot of articles about this topic on this website, so click here to read those: Cake decorating with wafer paper
