Gold Leaf Guide: What it is and How to Use It Without Ruining It

Gold Leaf in a nutshell:

• Gold leaf is expensive, so a luxury addition to a cake!
• Use a stiff, food safe brush to apply it to fondant or chilled buttercream / ganache
• Wear lightweight, food-safe gloves to avoid touching it with your bare hands

Edible gold leaf is an incredibly popular product in the cake decorating world. It can instantly add a hint of glamour to a bake, whether you’re using it on multiple wedding cake tiers or sprinkling a little on a cupcake. But many beginner bakers struggle and find themselves wondering, how do you use edible gold leaf without ruining it?!

In this post, we’ll explore what gold leaf is, how to use it and how to navigate some of those issues beginners run into.

Jump to:

What is edible gold leaf?
Applying edible gold leaf
Safety and sourcing
The cost factor

The Basics: What Exactly Is Edible Gold Leaf?

Before we dive into the specifics of using it, you might be wondering what gold leaf actually is. It’s more obvious than you might think…

What is edible gold leaf made of?

Drumroll please… edible gold leaf is made of real gold! Many people don’t realise it because it’s so fine and delicate. But edible gold leaf is pure gold, melted down into a bar, rolled (at incredibly high temperatures) into a ribbon and then beaten with washi paper into the thin foil you’ll recognise.

What does edible gold leaf taste like?

Edible gold leaf has no taste, so it’s a great option for decorating your cake without interfering with the other flavours you have chosen. It’s also so delicate that it has no real texture, so it won’t add an unwanted crunch to your cake either.

Application Bootcamp: Getting Gold Leaf on the Cake

The Golden Rules of Prep (How NOT to Ruin It Immediately)

We spoke to our friend, the amazing Zara from @bubbasbakes, to get her top tips on ensuring you don’t ruin your gold leaf before the decorating even begins!

Top Tip #1 - Store gold leaf in the booklet it comes in

“I always keep my gold leaf in the little booklet it comes in to keep it safe. I’ll then put the booklet into a ziplock bag, which goes into one of my storage drawers. Keeping it in a cool, dark place where it can’t be damaged by sunlight is essential!”

Top Tip #2 - Open it very carefully with no breeze or air conditioning

“Gold leaf is very delicate, and it will just blow away on a breeze! So make sure you open the booklet very carefully, and in a room with no breeze. If you have air conditioning, make sure it is switched off when working with gold leaf.”

Noted - all windows closed when working with gold leaf!

Top Tip #3 - Make sure your cake is set and chilled

“If you’re adding gold leaf to a buttercream or ganache cake, you have to make sure the cake has been chilled first - and ensure there is no condensation! Working with a fondant cake is a little bit easier.”

Top Tip #4 - Apply your gold leaf with a firm brush

“Carefully place your gold leaf against the area you want to decorate, and then dab with a firm, food-safe brush. This is especially useful when working on textured areas, it will apply really well with a firm brush!”

Never touch gold leaf with your bare hands. Skin is naturally warm and slightly oily/moist. If you try to pick it up, it will stick to the skin and could dissolve and become unusable. Food-safe, lightweight gloves are a great help.

Top Tip #5 - Hide any straight edges

“Your square of gold leaf foil has straight edges and corners, which you may not want to have showing on the cake! If you’re using a corner section, go over the top with a middle section of gold leaf. That will help to disguise any sharp lines.”

We love this tip so much, Zara, what an easy fix!

Gold Leaf Application Method:

To apply gold leaf, there are different approaches you can take:

1. The Firm, Food-Safe Brush - If you are using loose sheets or flakes to create scattered, textured accents, your firm, food-safe brush is your best friend.

2. The Direct Transfer (For Sheets) - If you buy transfer sheets (where the gold is lightly adhered to tissue paper), the process is slightly different, but your brush is still essential.

Follow our Step-by-Step: How to Use Edible Gold Leaf Without Ruining It

Safety & Sourcing: Is It Really Safe to Eat?

Why is gold leaf edible?

Pure Gold is classified as Food Safe, meaning it is totally edible and absolutely fine to add to your cakes. Gold leaf is biologically inert, meaning it passes through the human digestive tract completely unaltered without being absorbed by the body, making it 100% safe to consume when sourced from verified food-safe brands.

How can you tell if gold leaf is edible?

To ensure your gold leaf is edible, only buy this product from a reputable brand. The words “food-safe” should be present in the product description and packaging.

Here at The Cake Decorating Company, we stock edible gold leaf from Original Artisan Gold, a trusted Japanese brand whose products are food-safe and certified to international food standards, and the cake decorating experts at Sugarflair, a beloved UK brand.

The Cost Factor: Is It Worth the Investment?

As it is made from pure gold, edible gold leaf is definitely an investment.

• a single loose sheet of good quality gold leaf - minimum of around £6

• A single gold leaf transfer sheet (which is easier to apply) minimum of around £10.

• Packs of five can be upwards of £30.

So… is it worth it?

Your first experience with gold leaf could be tricky, and end up with some of it wasted - that is absolutely a consideration. So, if you’re working on a really important cake, using edible gold leaf for the first time might not be wise!

However, there really is no equivalent! Gold lustre dust, edible metallic gold paints and gold sprinkles are all beautiful in their own way. But they aren’t a straight swap for that iconic foiled effect you get with edible gold leaf.

If you’re happy to just add any glimmer of gold, the cost of edible gold leaf may be too high, and one of those cheaper, easier-to-use alternatives can save the day! But if the gold leaf look is what you really want to achieve, the cost is worth it. Just make sure you invest in a practice sheet to test it out first before diving into your first important cake! Buy a little more than you think they need, simply because accidental wastage is practically a guarantee on your first try!

When we spoke to Zara, (@bubbasbakes) she said: “If you’re working on cakes for clients, always remember to factor in the cost of the gold leaf when quoting! It is a luxe addition to the cake!”