You can make edible flowers to decorate your cakes at home!
The floral shop didn’t play any part in this decorating. Believe it or not, you can eat all of these flowers! There’s one baking supply to thank for this look—and we’re calling it the paper mâché of the baking world.
Cake artist Kylie Holt shares the step-by-step to making these beautiful florals at home. Wafer paper is edible paper made of potato starch, water, and vegetable oil. Kylie uses it to make edible fabric, print edible images, or make edible flowers. It can be a tricky medium to work with, but with a little help from a pro, you’ll love forming flowers of your own.
Find wafer paper here.
How to make petals
Cut petals with scissors, three at a time. You can use a Cricut or silhouette if you have one. Kylie likes to dip a metal cutter in high-proof alcohol, and then press the petals out.
How to color petals
Color the petals with colored wafer paper conditioner. Make the conditioner with a little bit of distilled water, food-grade glycerine (just a few drops – this keeps it from getting brittle), and water based food coloring (can use liquid or gel).
How to form petals
There are a few different ways to form petals. You can use a legitimate flower former tool, a foam apple separator from the grocery store produce section, or you can use crumpled up tin foil. All three options give you a realistic flower petal look.
How to texture petals
To make the flowers look even more realistic, add some texture to the petals. A flower veiner gives a realistic looking effect. You can also grab a Dresden tool from Amazon, which is great for achieving the same look.
How to attach petals to form a flower
Use wafer paper glue to attach the petals together. Make the glue yourself by putting some wafer paper scraps in a bowl with water, and microwave at 5-10 second intervals until clear. Use a paintbrush to attach petals together.
Start with three in the center and build it up with about five outer petals. Keep going for larger flowers.
How to attach flowers to a cake
Use a dab or frosting to attach the flowers to your cake.
You can also use floral wire to wire and sandwich the petals together. Then, use floral tape to attach petals together.
Check out our Instagram for a more in-depth attaching tutorial.
Find more from Kylie on Instagram, @kylieholtcake, or on her website, cakelyutah.com.
Kylie Holt is an acclaimed Sugar Artist and International Food Network Champion. Her expertise lies in crafting show-stopping wedding cakes and intricate 3-D and gravity-defying cakes. She has competed on shows like Cake Wars, Santa’s Baking Blizzard, and won The Big Bake. Kylie and her team wowed audiences on Disney’s Foodtastic with their winning mind-boggling Toy Story-themed food art. Her work has been featured in Cake Masters Magazine, as well as a featured tutorial for a gravity-defying fairy treehouse cake for the Icing Smiles newsletter. She has consistently dominated her division in the Sugar Artists of Utah Show, even securing Best of Show with her gravity-defying Humpty Dumpty cake. She graduated from Escoffier School of Culinary Arts as a Pastry Chef in 2018, and has a passion for sharing her baking and decorating experience with others!
Studio 5 has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by KSL. All prices are subject to change.
Add comment