MASTER THE ART OF GOLD
How To Gold Leaf Tips & Courses
If you’ve wanted to learn how to gold leaf your pastries, cakes, cocktails, or other creations, we’ve got the right tips from you. Provided to us by our customers, these tips come from proffessionals who’ve perfected the right techniques on how to gold leaf. They’ve been kind enough to share these tips and techniques so that others can enjoy the same delight they’ve experienced in creating something truely awe-inspiring.
Gold & Silver Leaf Usage Tips
• When you’re just learning how to gold leaf, order Books with Transfer sheets over loose sheets. The transfer sheets will help you apply the Edible Gold and Silver Leaf sheet easier than having to use Non-Static Tweezers.
• When applying Edible Gold Leaf or Silver to fondant, wait until the fondant is completely dry. We recommend waiting over night before applying Edible Gold Leaf or Silver to it. We recommend you use Gold Grain 95% alcohol as opposed to vodka, as we have found it works better.
• Use a flexible, smooth synthetic fanned brush instead of a natural brush, as they are far too coarse.
• Do not use a brush directly on the Edible Gold or Silver Leaf Sheet to smooth the surface of the cake.
• To create a cake with a very smooth surface, use the transfer sheets and with the help of a synthetics fanned-brush, brush the surface of the transfer sheet that is covering the Gold or Silver Leaf Sheet attached to the cake.
• The fondant must be whipped until it is dry or it will be better to wait overnight before applying 24K Edible Gold Leaf or Edible Silver sheets.
• Work away from air-conditioned, or fanned areas so as not to blow the gold or silver leaf in an undesirable location.
• If you use disposable spray bottles over airbrush kits, you will not have to use a curtain to protect areas you want clear.
Transfer Sheets Info
Most of the tips discussed on this page on how to gold leaf use transfer paper. We manufactured Edible Gold Leaf sheets and sell them in booklets of 25 sheet (sizes: 3, 3/8 x 3, 3/8 inch) with or without transfer sheets. The booklets with transfer sheets include a transfer sheet for each 24K Edible Gold leaf Sheet. There is a total of 25 Transfer sheets in each booklet with transfer sheets. Our transfer sheets are a non-sticky special parchment paper used for baking applications. The transfer sheets help when applying 24K Edible Gold Leaf Sheets on the surface of a Cake, so we recommend them especially to novices learning how to gold leaf their creations.
Courses: Learn How to Apply Gold & Silver Leaf
By popular demand, CornucAupia Gold Leaf Manufacturing, Inc. is now offering courses for professionals chefs, bartenders, pastry and cake designers, and food decorators that want to learn how to gold leaf. These courses will teach you everything you need to know about using edible gold and edible silver in your creations.
We will be posting more information about courses soon. In the mean time, if you’re interested, please contact us using our contact page, or emailing us at Sales@CornucAupia.com, or calling us at 941-342-1817.
In the mean time, consider taking a course provided by Reed’s Gold Leaf Studio. Micki Cavanah, teaches all facets of restoration and gilding. Classes are geared toward the individual student’s choice of subjects. Classes are one on one and dates can be scheduled according to your needs. Tuition is $450 per day, per student. Experience has shown that a 2 to 3 day class will suffice for almost any student. Contact Micki for more information.
Estimated Quantities Per Project
Below is a chart that should assist you in figuring out how much Edible Gold Leaf, or Edible Silver Leaf you need based on the cake size you plan on creating. These will give you a good idea of the quantities required for common projects when you’re learning how to gold leaf.
| Tier Circumference or Perimeter Size | Sheets req. for Round Cake (Silver) | Sheets req. for Round Cake (Gold) | Sheets req. for Square Cake (Silver) | Sheets req. for Square Cake (Gold) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Inch | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 9.5 |
| 6 Inch | 7.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| 7 Inch | 9 | 10.5 | 11.5 | 13.5 |
| 8 Inch | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| 9 Inch | 12 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 17 |
| 10 Inch | 13.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 19 |
| 11 Inch | 14 | 16.5 | 18 | 21 |
| 12 Inch | 15 | 18 | 19.5 | 22.5 |
| 14 Inch | 17.5 | 21 | 22.5 | 26.5 |
Recommended portions for beverages such as: coffee, tea, and cocktails.
| Number of People | Qty. of 24K Edible Gold or Silver Leaf Powder and Crumbs | Number of Shakers |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.5 gr. | 1 |
| 200 | 1 gr. | 1 |
| 350 | 1.5 gr. | 2 |
| 650 | 3 gr. | 3 |
| 1,000 | 4 – 4.5 gr. | 4 |
| 1,500 | 8 gr. | 8 |
| 2,000 | 9 gr. | 9 |
These are the portions and quantities we would recommend for other party sizes.
| Number of People | Qty. of 24K Edible Gold or Silver Leaf Powder and Crumbs | Number of Shakers |
|---|---|---|
| 35 – 40 | 0.5 gr. | 1 |
| 175 – 200 | 1 gr. | 1 |
| 350 -400 | 1.5 gr. | 2 |
Please note that everything you learn about how to gold leaf applies to silver as well.