Homemade Edible Fabric Recipe aka Edible Silk

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The latest trend in cake decorating has been these edible fabric sheets also called edible silk and flexique edible fabric. Surprisingly this homemade edible fabric recipe is easier than you can imagine. It takes no more than 10 minutes to make one sheet of homemade edible silk.

A few months ago I had a customer who was very fascinated with having edible drapes for her wedding cake. Unfortunately, after taking into consideration the cost of the cake and shipment, plus the time it would take for shipping, she decided it was not worth it. Of course, I was disappointed.

Recently, I came across this amazing video on YouTube by Elena Wilkinson. She made edible fabric at home. It was very simple, easy, and inexpensive. The video was in Russian so I could not understand a word, yet I loved what I saw and I had to try it. Lucky for me, my friend Gulnaz knows Russian and she was kind enough to help me translate the video and get the recipe.

A person holding edible fabric for cake decorating. — Homemade Edible Fabric Recipe aka Edible Silk, Flexique edible fabric

So, I did my first experiment and was almost jumping. It was so easy! I loved the effect. Of course, you know me, and I wanted to share it with you. And so I decided to do the rest of my testing/experiments on camera so I can share them with you.

Now I will be honest, I have yet to place it on a cake. But I love how the whole fabric effect looks. It’s so amazing to have something so soft, squishy, and satiny in your hands. Best of all it’s EDIBLE!!

Tools and tips

Brush– Now it is very important to use a good art brush. It does not have to be expensive but it does need to be able to brush in one stroke. So an old brush works fine. Just make sure the bristles are not falling off and that it gives a smooth brush stroke. Not one that causes lumps. Do not use the kitchen silicon brushes. They make dripping strokes.
Bowls– Use a microwave-safe bowl. Find two bowls that fit one over the over like a bain-marie. So you can place hot water in the bottom bowl.
Silicon mat – For the chocolate fabric, you need a clean silicon mat so you can peel the fabric easily.
Long offset spatula – Use a long offset spatula for the chocolate fabric so it will spread easily and evenly.

How does edible fabric taste?

Well, the recipe is just gelatin, glycerin, and water – no sugar or anything else. So needless to say, it does not taste like much! In fact, at least the homemade edible sugar lace recipe has some sugar. So while it does not take much it’s still OK. And yet, this one is not something you would enjoy eating. It’s mostly for getting the fabric effect on the cake. So don’t expect it to taste good.

My tips & recommendations

If you notice below in the recipe I have given you the option to brush the mixture on one side of the rice paper only. As well as brush the mixture on two sides of the rice paper. Why?

Well, I notice that when brushing only on one side the fabric tends to become stiff after a while. That’s because one side of the rice paper is still exposed to air and you know what happens to rice paper when you keep it out, right? But if you brush on both sides it stays softer for a longer time. In fact, my silver edible fabric has been done a few days ago and it’s still soft.

So, I highly recommend brushing on both sides to get the full fabric effect.

How to make edible fabric

For the transparent mixture

Soak the gelatin in water for a few seconds.
Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave for 20 sec or more until completely dissolved.
Add the glycerin and stir well.
Place the gelatin bowl over a bowl of hot water so it does not solidify.

Brushed one side (see video)

Brush the mixture over the rice paper’s shiny side trying to keep single strokes.
Dry on one side completely for 7 to 10 minutes (it will be dry but tacky).
Brush with pearl luster dust, metallic gold, or silver.
Dust the second side with cornstarch so it won’t be tacky anymore.

Brushed on two sides (see video)

Brush the mixture over the rice paper dull side trying to keep single strokes.
Dry on one side completely for 5 to 7 minutes (it will be dry but tacky).
Flip the sheet carefully and brush the other (now shiny side) with the mixture.
Let dry for 5 to 7 minutes until dry but still tacky.
Brush with pearl luster dust, metallic gold, or silver.
Dust the second side with cornstarch.

Edible chocolate fabric

Soak the gelatin in water for a few seconds.
Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave for 20 sec or more until completely dissolved.
Add the glycerin and stir well.
Mix in the chocolate pieces and stir till well dissolved.
If necessary place in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Once all the pieces are dissolved pour the mixture over a clean silicon mat.
Spread out with a long spatula or bench scraper trying to keep to single strokes.
Let dry for 10 minutes until set (it will be sticky but dry).
When a dry brush with metallic gold, silver or cornstarch.
Dust off any excess cornstarch.

What can you make with edible fabric?

Most cake projects need flexible materials like clothes, bows, and swags. You can make a dress for a princess doll cake.

Can I use printed wafer paper to make edible fabric?

Yes, paint on the plain side first, and let it dry. Then paint on the printed side using single strokes. You want to be gentle and use a single motion to prevent bleeding.

Why do I need to dust edible fabric with cornstarch?

The cornstarch takes away the stickiness from the gelatin. It also gives it that mat finish.

Can I use edible colored dust for the edible fabric?

Yes, you can use colored edible dust but note that it will change the color of the edible fabric depending on the color and how much you use.

Do I need to brush both sides of the edible image with a gelatin mixture?

As shown in the video, you can do one side or you can do both sides. I find doing both sides gives a softer fabric effect.
Doing only one side also means the wafer paper is exposed so it can dry more quickly.

My edible fabric became hard.

Once dusted with cornstarch the edible fabric needs to be kept wrapped and away from air. Just like fondant or gumpaste the longer it is exposed to air the quicker it will dry.

How do you store edible fabric?

I find placing the edible fabric between two parchment papers and in a cardboard box works best to keep them soft.

Can I use gelatin leaves instead of gelatin powder to make edible fabric?

Yes, in this case, you will need about 8 leaves of premium-grade leaf gelatin.

How do I use gelatin sheets or gelatin leaves?

Place the gelatin leaves in water making sure they are completely covered.
Let soak for 5 minutes
Remove them from the water and squeeze out any excess moisture.
Place them in a microwave-safe bowl and melt using 50% power at 30-second intervals.
Alternatively, place them in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (like a double boiler) and stir until melted

My printed edible fabric is patchy

Printed edible wafer papers can bleed color when painting so it’s important to do it with one single stroke each time. And if you find the color is bleeding wipe the color off the brush between each stroke so you don’t add color to the mixture or the next stroke.
In most cases, you will not notice the patch or streaky effect when used on the cake like a fabric.

Can I brush the gelatin on the edible fabric while it is hot?

No, keep the mixture warm or the hot gelatin will soak into and warp the wafer paper. Printed wafer paper will bleed colors.

My finished edible fabric has small rice grains or lumps.

The small gains usually mean that the gelatin was not melted properly before brushing.
The lumps are probably because the gelatin was setting while brushing leaving a lumpy finish. Keep the mixture warm before brushing.

Veena Azmanov