Why Does Edible Gold Leaf Make Every Cake Look Instantly Luxurious?

What do you need to add a little sparkle to your cake without covering up your decoration? Edible gold leaf gives you that option with a couple of well-placed pieces.

You can take a tiny piece of gold leaf and put it on the frosting of a tier cake, add the edible gold leaf flakes to the chocolate drip, or embed the edible gold leaf piece onto macaron. This ingredient can be used with a simple cake design or more complicated structures and you don’t have to be an advanced decorator to do it.

If you are learning how to use edible gold leaf, a transfer sheet is the best option for starting. The 24K Edible Gold Leaf Transfer Sheet has the gold affixed to tissue paper for easier handling than loose leaf.

What Is Edible Gold Leaf?

Well, what do you put on the cake when you put edible gold leaf on it? You place the real gold that has been hammered in very thin sheets that measure about 0.0001 millimeters.

The pure 24k gold leaf is tasteless and odorless and your body will not be able to absorb it. Gold that is used for eating has been certified as E175, meaning it is edible.

One thing to make sure before using it is that the gold used in arts and crafts is not edible. Be sure that your product is clearly labelled E175 or food-grade gold before using it in a cake or other baked item.

Gold Leaf Sheets vs Gold Flakes vs Gold Dust

Each of these products will provide you with a unique finish. The choice between them should depend on the desired effect on your cake.

• Gold leaf sheets are complete, thin sheets which are best used when you need to cover large surfaces or obtain a foiled finish.   
• Gold leaf transfer sheets are those where the gold leaf is attached to the tissue paper. This makes them convenient to use because they can be easily held and applied.
• Gold flakes are little broken pieces which can be sprinkled onto cakes, chocolate truffles, and other desserts for an additional texture.  
• Gold dust is very fine particles that can be spread on cakes with a brush for the subtle shine. It won’t provide you with the reflection that you’ll get from the whole sheet of gold leaf.  

Artisan Edible Gold Leaf Flakes with tweezers contain 250 pieces of flakes and bamboo tweezers for accurate positioning without damaging the gold with oils from your skin.

Which Surfaces Work Best?

The surface where edible gold leaf for cakes should be applied must have some tackiness. This is the most important aspect that should be kept in mind while trying out different surfaces.

Some of the best surfaces include:

• Buttercream that is just applied
• Ganache which is partly set and a little bit tacky
• Fondant lightly misted with water
• Sugar syrup

A totally crusted fondant will not allow gold leaf to stay. In case your fondant is completely dried, it can be lightly misted with water from a distance of 20 cm and gold can be applied after 30 seconds. The Original Deluxe Gold Premium Edible Loose Leaf can be used for an elegant gold effect.

The use of gold leaf on buttercream is particularly helpful since the fat present in the buttercream maintains its tackiness much longer than fondant. A dry and soft brush should be used when handling the gold, so that it doesn’t stick to your tools.

How to Apply Edible Gold Leaf?

The steps are simple as long as the surface is prepared properly.

• Cut or tear the sheet to the required size using scissors or a dry knife
• Direct handling of the leaf by bare hands should not be done since skin oil will cause immediate tears
• Pick up and place each leaf piece with the help of tweezers or a dry brush
• Press very gently with the backing tissue still attached, then peel back slowly
• Smooth out any lifted edges with a clean dry brush, not with your hands

If you want to create a smooth texture, put several pieces overlapping each other, smoothing every joint out. If you require an uneven texture, you can use flakes randomly and preserve irregular edges. Artisan Edible Gold Leaf Stardust packs provide you with a dusty form of gold leaf for those places that require a sheet.

For a polished look, overlap pieces and smooth each joint. For a textured broken effect, apply small flakes randomly and leave the irregular edges as a deliberate design choice. Artisan Edible Gold Leaf Stardust sachets come in a dust format to allow you to decorate areas where a full sheet would be too bulky.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are certain things that you should keep in mind so that you do not end up ruining the gold leaf sheets before you even get started.                                                                                                       

• Avoid using the fan, have the windows open, or make use of an air conditioner. The lightweight leaves might get blown away before they are placed on the cake.
• Make sure that you do not apply the gold leaf on a warm surface. As the heat might make the gold come off before sticking to the surface.
• Do not apply too much water to the edible leaf. There should only be a light misting of water used, as excess moisture could cause the leaf to become wrinkled, and this cannot be undone.
• If the leaf is torn, do not get rid of it. Instead of throwing it away, place another piece of gold leaf over the torn leaf, or leave it as it is to become part of the design.

The process of learning how to use edible gold leaves starts with making sure that you have dry hands, dry tools, and a slightly tacky surface. Using good smoothers and scrapers will help create a smooth surface on either fondant or buttercream. This is especially helpful when applying edible gold leaf on cakes.

Storing Edible Gold Leaf

Gold leaf transfer sheets and flakes that are not used can be stored for long periods of time without much effort.

Make sure you keep your gold transfer sheets and flakes in their original packaging, lying flat, away from moisture, and in a cool place. Avoid putting them in the refrigerator because condensation caused by the cooling process destroys the leaf. With proper storage, edible gold leaf can last up to 12 months. While in the beginning, buy single sheets to avoid any wastage, practicing with a scrap piece of fondant before decorating the final cake saves more materials than it costs.

Is It Worth the Investment?

Yes, but only if you purchase carefully and practice first.

Edible gold leaf is one of the most expensive forms of cake decorating available but it only takes a single sheet to cover a large area of the cake. In the case of celebration cakes, a box of transfer sheets proves to be a great choice in terms of price and value for money that you get. There are also less expensive options such as lustre dust, gold paints, or gold decorations, but none of them can offer the same effect as real gold leaf. The cake decorating supplies range include all of the above mentioned alternatives as well as real edible gold leaf so that one can choose the most suitable solution.

One Detail, Maximum Impact

You don’t have to cover the whole cake in gold to get the decoration to stand out; all you have to do is use a little bit of edible gold leaf in the right places for the decoration of the cake without having to alter the basic design of the cake.

You can try it on the fondant wedding tier, buttercream birthday cake, and even the chocolate truffle. With a little practice, you will know how to apply the leaf without requiring special skills. It is also great when combined with other forms of edible cake decoration to make them more layered.

Use a cake turntable when applying the leaf to the side of a cake as you can simply turn the cake into position as you decorate. Use sugarpaste and rolled icings to create the smooth surface for the application.