Printed wafer paper is a popular way to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies, but a lot of my customers have never used it before. I get a lot of questions about how long it lasts and how to store it, because people are concerned about it going stale before they’ll use it.
Because of how wafer paper is made, though, that’s highly unlikely to happen.
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How long does wafer paper last?
Wafer paper lasts for 2-3 years when stored properly away from moisture. Manufacturers’ guidelines are generally 2 years, but that’s usually a “Best By” date, not an expiration date.
Because wafer paper is a starch-based medium, it doesn’t spoil in the same way that perishable food does, so storing it in the proper way will keep it usable for years beyond that time.
A “Best By” date is an indicator of quality, and the manufacturer has to give a guideline so that people have an idea of how fast they should use an item. Wafer paper is edible, but it’s not really FOOD, so it’s difficult to assign a date that you have to use it by.
The quality of it might be affected if it’s stored for a really long time because it can dry out and become more brittle, but it can always be conditioned to restore some of its flexibility.
The wafer paper that I buy has a Best By date that’s about 2 years long, and to me that makes sense. I find that after that long it will be more brittle and less able to be folded without cracking, but I’ve stored printed wafer paper for longer than that and it’s perfectly fine condition-wise.
I went through a LOT of wafer paper, and I bought it in bulk, as you can see. As long as it’s stored in the original bags, it would be fine for as long as I needed to print with it.
The cellophane wrapper that it comes in from the manufacturer will protect it from moisture and is enough to keep it usable for as long as I needed to store it.
Wafer paper is made from potato starch, vegetable oil, and enough water to allow it to be formed into the sheets. It doesn’t have anything perishable in it, so it doesn’t spoil or go bad the way that food with a lot of moisture in it will.
I had customers ask me to mail their orders close to the event date because they were worried that the edible paper won’t be “fresh,” but that wasn’t really a concern. It’s not fresh or stale, it’s just wafer paper!
Having said that, how long should you store wafer paper after it’s been printed, and what’s the best way to store it? There are a few things that you should keep in mind when you’re waiting to decorate the cake so that yours is in the best condition it can be in when you’re ready to use it.
Click here for the full guide to edible wafer paper.
How to store printed wafer paper.
Store printed wafer paper by enclosing the printed paper in an airtight plastic bag or container. It should be kept in a dry area at room temperature to keep it away from humidity and sunlight, which can fade the edible ink colors.
Avoid sunlight.
Because printing the paper adds moisture to it, it will be slightly more brittle after it dries, and over the space of a few months it can be prone to cracking, depending on the depth of color of the ink.
Edible ink printers are inkjet printers, and they work by spraying dots of color onto the surface of the paper. Depending on how much color is applied to it, the wafer paper will absorb it, and that can make the paper stiffer after it dries because the liquid makes the starch in it expand then contract.
Darker colors can actually cause the paper to bubble and warp slightly because of the amount of ink needed to create the darker colors.
I stored some printed wafer paper items because I’d print some things ahead of time to stock up. I didn’t like printing things too far in advance, though, so I kept my on-hand inventory low.
I used a file cabinet with folders to keep the bagged and printed items sorted, since that kept everything contained and away from sunlight.
I recommended that my customers buy things a month or two ahead of time at the most, but that’s being conservative about it. Printed wafer paper will be fine for years, so buying things further out from your event won’t affect the quality of the paper in any radical way.
Applying wafer paper that’s a little on the dry side to a buttercream cake might actually help it last a little longer, since it will have more room to absorb moisture from the icing before it’s affected.
I mentioned keeping the printed wafer paper away from sunlight…The reason for that is that some colors might fade if sunlight is allowed to really beat down on the paper. Unless you leave the printed paper near a window, that’s not likely to be an issue, but it’s something that you should be aware of.
Store it in a dry area.
The other thing to watch out for is moisture, but most normal room-temperature environments will be fine. You don’t need to refrigerate wafer paper for storage, and refrigeration can actually damage it. If the fridge is too humid, the wafer paper can potentially absorb that moisture and soften up or stick together.
When I shipped wafer paper to my customers, I put it in resealable, food-safe plastic bags. If you don’t use all of the edible butterflies or other decor items, you can reseal the bag and keep them until you need them for another event.
Sometimes wafer paper is shipped in vacuum-sealed bags, but those can’t be resealed once they’re opened, so I feel that this type of bag is the best for ease of use.
Use plastic containers.
Another way to store wafer paper items is to use plastic containers with an airtight lid. This is a good solution for things that you have a lot of, or that you need to have easy access to if you’re decorating a lot of items and don’t want to stop to open individual packages while you’re working.
I store flowers in this kind of container and it keeps them ready to use.
Just empty the individual packets into a larger container, then seal them up when you’re not using them. That way you can see everything you have to work with at once, and they’ll be stored appropriately for when you need them.
I find that storing butterflies this way keeps them in good condition, but there’s a noticeable difference in how it handles when the air is dry in the winter vs. humid in the summer.
When wafer paper sits in dry air for any length of time, it will definitely lose moisture and get drier. That can make the paper curl or break if you try to fold it. If that happens, you can always condition it by putting it in a conditioning box or by spraying it with a glycerine spray.
Controlling the moisture levels in wafer paper makes a big difference in how flexible it is, and the humidity in the air will definitely affect that.
Storing before and after it’s printed isn’t difficult, and because it doesn’t spoil, it can be stored for years. Taking some basic precautions to avoid moisture and sunlight can keep your printed wafer paper usable and good-looking with very little effort.
