A branch of cherry blossoms can make a simple cake feel like spring. But if you want the entire decoration to be edible, what do you use instead of floral wire and tape?
Wafer paper.
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how I make the petals, stamens, stems, and branches from wafer paper. The finished branch is light enough for a cake, with the texture and movement of a real blooming branch.
Watch the full process here, then use the steps below as a guide while you work.
What you’ll need
- Single-thickness wafer paper. I use 0.3 mm.
- A five-petal flower template, scissors, and a Dresden tool
- A foam pad and cornstarch
- AC Tonic wafer paper conditioner
- Pink petal dust
- Yellow and ivory food colors for the stamens
- Brown and ivory food colors for the branches
- Wafer paper glue
- A small brush, toothpick, or awl to help shape the pieces
Choose edible colors and ingredients if you want the finished decoration to be fully edible.
Make the cherry blossom petals
Cut five-petal flower shapes from your wafer paper. I fold the paper into three layers so I can cut several flowers at once. You’ll need two flower shapes for each blossom.
Brush a little AC Tonic onto the shiny side of each flower. Place it on a foam pad and add a thin layer of cornstarch to keep the softened wafer paper from melting or sticking. Use a Dresden tool to shape and separate the petals.
Let the flowers dry completely. Then brush a little pink petal dust around the edges. I leave the centers lighter and vary the color from flower to flower so the finished branch has more depth.
Make edible stamens from wafer paper
For the stamens, color a small piece of wafer paper with yellow and a little ivory. Add enough conditioner to make it flexible while keeping the paper intact.
Fold the softened paper over itself a few times to give the top of the stamens some thickness. While it is still flexible, cut narrow slits along one edge. Leave a strip of paper beneath the cuts so the stamens stay connected.
Brush a little wafer paper glue onto the uncut section. Roll it around an awl or toothpick to form the center, then slide it off and gently twist the base. Set it aside to dry.
This is one of my favorite details in the project. The bright center gives the blossom its shape without adding a premade stamen.
Assemble each flower
Overlap two dry flower shapes and add a small amount of wafer paper glue at their centers. Make a hole through the layers with a toothpick, then insert your wafer paper stamen.
Pinch the base to bring the petals and center together. Leave the narrow wafer paper stem beneath the flower; you’ll use it to attach the blossom to the branch.
Repeat until you have enough flowers for your arrangement. They don’t need to be identical. Small differences make the branch look more natural.
Roll the edible branches
Paint a sheet or scrap of wafer paper with uneven strokes of brown and ivory. You can add a little green or yellow if it suits your cake. I like the variation: it gives the rolled paper a more convincing bark texture.
Start at one corner and roll the paper diagonally around a brush handle, straw, or similar tool. Remove the tool, then twist and shape the wafer paper into a branch. Make a few branches in different lengths and thicknesses.
Once they’re dry, join them with wafer paper glue. Press the pieces together and give the glue time to soften their surfaces and bond them. The dry branches feel sturdy, but remain very light.
Attach the blossoms
Add a little wafer paper glue to the stem beneath each blossom. Wait a few seconds for it to soften, then press the flower onto the branch. Place the blossoms at different angles and leave some open space between them.
If the stems stand out against your branches, touch them up with the same brown color you used earlier.
Now you have a cherry blossom branch made from wafer paper, including the flower centers and the branches.
Which cherry blossom method should you use?
I also have an earlier cherry blossom branch tutorial that uses floral wire and tape. That method is useful when you want a wired arrangement you can position and adjust.
Use the method in this video when you want the decoration itself to be edible. The rolled wafer paper branches give you a different look, with no wire hidden inside.
If you try it, start with one small branch and a few blossoms. Once you’ve made the stamens and rolled your first branch, it becomes much easier to see how you can change the shape for your own cake design.
Keep learning with WAFER PAPER ACADEMY
If you want to sell wedding cakes, you need to know how to create wedding cake decorations that are beautiful, lightweight, and practical to make in advance.
That is exactly what I teach inside WAFER PAPER ACADEMY. You’ll learn how to make lifelike wafer paper flowers, arrange them on cakes, and develop a recognizable cake design style of your own.
