Edible lace has always been an intricate part of cake decorating. And yet, now it has become a massive trend. Here's a simple homemade edible sugar lace recipe. It can be applied to any cake, from simple buttercream to naked ganache or a decorated fondant cake. So, have fun and explore new possibilities with this easy to use homemade lace recipe.

Table of Content
I use a lot of lace on my cakes. Unfortunately, when I started out, I could not find any shop that sold edible lace. So, I had to go hunt for a homemade edible sugar lace recipe. Recently, however, I do find cake lace in my local shop. Therefore, in some of the recent works I have used store-bought lace, not this homemade edible sugar lace recipe.

First of all, this lace recipe is not mine. I found it on the Cake Central forum a long time ago - shared by a lovely lady Dawn Edwards. Since I do not know her personally, I hope she won't' mind that I shared her recipe here (if she does I will take it off). So, if anyone knows her, please share her details with me and I will share a link to her page or website here.
Also, I am sharing it here rather than just putting a link because it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep up with the questions on where to look for this recipe.
And yet, you are welcome to look for it on Cake Central.
Before I give you the recipe here are my tips
Here are some of my tips based on the questions I have received from you all.

When you add the tylose to the boiling water it will be very lumpy. Like this below.

So, let it sit for a few minutes (mine takes about 10 mins really) until it becomes almost transparent. Like this. See no lumps of white powder in it. Right?

Next, I sift all the remaining dry ingredients together and then add them to it.

Lastly, add the corn syrup and your mixture should look like this. No lump!!!
(if your mixture is lumpy the lace will not spread evenly) This is, of course, a bit thick, but I do not add any water just yet.
Consistency
First, I take the amount I need into a separate bowl. Then, I add the color needed. And, if you need white you will also need to add white color. As you can see the color above is not really white; more opaque.
Once the color is mixed in - I add a few drops of water as needed to make it to spreading consistency.
Remember, you need it to spread evenly but at the same time you need it to be strong and dry fast - So easy with the water.
Too much water will make the lace weak which will tear more easily.
How to use edible sugar lace
Just use a spatula and apply it to a clean dry mat. Remove any excess. You can air dry it overnight until the lace releases itself from the mat.
Personally, I place it in the oven at 60 C for about 10 to 15 mins and that expedites the process too. But you have to be careful if you leave it longer or at a high temperature, the lace will become too brittle.
Types of lace mats to use
Make sure the lace mats you use are similar to these. There are some thick lace mats like I mention in the video. Lace mats are usually very thin and barely need any mixture to create lace. The ones for fondant a thicker and deeper.
These below are similar perhaps not same as seen in the video (kinda hard to find the exact sometimes) But I love these and they work really beautifully with this mixture.
Storage
- Keep it wrapped individually in between parchment or greaseproof paper in a cardboard box.
- If you keep it out it does become brittle and breaks easily. But if you want to make standalone butterflies - just let them sit a few hours on the former open and they will set.
So Finally - here is the recipe by Dawn Edwards I found on cake central.
Step by step instructions
The original RECIPE by Dawn Edwards has meringue powder - if you want you can add ¼ teaspoon of meringue powder but I have tried it without as you can see in the videos and it works perfectly fine.
- Add Tylose to boiling water and with a small fork mix until you get a clear mixture.
- When the mix is clear, add confectioner sugar and cornstarch - mix again.
- Then add your corn syrup.
- Add white edible color - mix well.
- This mix can be kept in the refrigerator for a week. To work with it leave it at room temperature.
- Once you have made the lace, you can store it between parchment paper in a cardboard box.
- To use - just spread lace as thin as possible in the lace mats - watch the video if you working on lace for the first time.
- Place in the oven at 60 C/ 110 F for 10 to 15 minutes or air dry overnight depending on the humidity level.
- As soon as it leaves the sides and looks dry - you can test from the corner first.
You can double this recipe successfully. I have used it very successfully making almost 3 times this amount. It works really well and the lace has a long shelf life. I have some kept over a few months and they are still soft and gorgeous.
More recipes like this
- Korean Buttercream Recipe
- Bean Paste Recipe for Sugar Flowers - Korean Bean Paste
- Best EVER Homemade Fondant
- See all the Fondant recipes
- See in Frostings recipes
- see all Fillings recipes
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once the buttercream has crusted or dried brush the sides with edible glue or piping gel. Place the lace and it should stick without any issues.
Yes, sugar lace contains all edible ingredients so it is edible. Having said that it is made with edible gums which are quite chewy and tasteless. Often cake decorators use edible lace for decorative purposes.
Just brush the fondant with water or edible glue. Do not add too much liquid or glue as it will saturate into the lace. Place the lace and it should stay in place.
Place edible lace between parchment papers well covered. Then place in a cardboard box.
I've got a few for over a few months and they are still beautiful. If wrapped well these can stay for up to a year as well.
Once taken out of the mold edible lace needs to be kept covered. Any exposure to air will dry them out.
Even the oven is different so you will need a little trial and error to find the few minutes that work best for you. The lace needs to be removed when it's set but still not hard. You will find that the edges start coming off the sides.
You need to make the fondant or buttercream tacky but not wet. If there is too much moisture on the cake it will melt the lace.
Sugar lace is made with edible gum which is stretchy and hard to cut. It's best to take it off the cake and cut the cake so you have pretty slices. The lace can be messy when tried to cut.
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Printable Recipe
Homemade Edible Sugar Lace Recipe Eggless and Vegetarian
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Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Tylose powder
- 4 tablespoon Boiling water
- 1 tablespoon Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar/icing sugar)
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch / cornflour
- ½ teaspoon Light corn syrup / liquid glucose
- 1 drop White gel food color (or any other for colored lace)
Instructions
- Add Tylose to boiling water and with a small fork mix until you get a clear mixture.
- When the mix is clear, add confectioner sugar and cornstarch - mix again.
- Then add your corn syrup.
- Add white edible color - mix well.
- This mix can be kept in the refrigerator for a week. To work with it leave it at room temperature.
- Once you have made the lace, you can store it between parchment paper in a cardboard box.
- To use - just spread lace as thin as possible in the lace mats - watch the video if you working on lace for the first time.
- Place in the oven at 60 C/ 110 F for 10 to 15 minutes or air dry overnight depending on the humidity level.
- As soon as it leaves the sides and looks dry - you can test from the corner first.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Debjani Mondal
Hi Veena ma’am, hope you are doing well. Ma’am can I store buttercream cake with edible lace decorations in refrigerator overnight, like 14-16 hours?
Veena Azmanov
You can store a buttercream cake in the fridge! For edible decorations it really depends.
Buttercream decorations will stay well. Royal icing and gum paste will ruin once they start to condensation outside the fridge.
Debjani Mondal
Ok. Thank you ma’am.
Liza
hi can i make a masquarde mask with edible lace will it dry over a made mask to form the nose part so its bent over nose part or will it brake
Veena Azmanov
Yes, you must place it on the mask to air dry so it will hold its shape. It will still be soft of course because it is lace unless you live in a humid place and it dries hard.
Monicka
Quick question... I followed your recipe, it turned out great at first. I was able to get it out of the mat with no issues. I left it out to dry overnight and the next morning it was extremely hard and would no longer flat. I read that it can be stored in a cardboard box with parchment paper in between, i'm just wondering if there is a way to keep it either laying flat or still a little flexible. It turned out to be a hot mess and I want to try again but I need to figure out what I've done wrong.
Veena Azmanov
Monicka. yes, you must keep it immediately well wrapped between parchment paper. Any air that gets to it will make it dry! I stored mine for months between parchments in a clean shoe box and it would be soft and flexible.
Tascah
I just made this recipe and it turned out great!!! So pretty. However I have a question.
I put it in my cake and the next day it was hard, shrunk and would not stick to my frosting.
Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Tascah. Lace gets dry very easily and as it dries it tends to shrink. It becomes more difficult it is to bend. It tends to crack easily. This is with all lace - homemade or commercial.
LInda Cano
I’m excited about trying out edible sugar lace. I’ve seen it added to tea cups. Does this dissolve and sweeten the tea?
Veena Azmanov
It sure should! It also has tylose so it's also sticky. It has sugar but I wouldn't rely on it for sweetness.
Monica
If my oven doesn’t go as low as 110 F. Can I bake it at a higher temp for less time?
Veena Azmanov
Use the lowest oven setting. It is best to do low temperature or room temperature otherwise the lace cracks easily