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    Home » Cake Decorating

    Halloween Rice Paper Ghosts Tutorial

    Published: Oct 20, 2020 by Ashley This post may contain affiliate links. 12 Comments

    Rice paper sails are super popular on cakes these days. Understandably so, as they really add a lot of movement and an ethereal feel to a cake design. If you haven't used rice paper for cake decorating, you may have still heard of rice paper elsewhere - perhaps in the form spring rolls. For this tutorial, the same rice paper used to make spring rolls will be used to make these translucent Halloween ghosts. Luckily, rice paper can be found in most grocery stores and is fairly inexpensive. These Halloween rice paper ghosts are really easy to make, are a super cute addition on Halloween cakes and cupcakes, and and require very few supplies.

    halloween rice paper ghosts on cake with sugar eyes on a black cake stand

    Supplies

    -rice paper

    -a small spray bottle filled with cold water

    -non-stick mats/silicone mats

    -black edible marker

    -styrofoam cake dummy

    -straight pins

    -lollipop sticks

    -clear isomalt

    moistening the rice paper

    About rice paper

    Rice paper is easy to shape when wet, becoming stretchy and a bit sticky, and dries hard. Rice paper is commonly used in making rice paper sails for cakes, which is a similar technique, but shaped different. Usually, when making rice paper sails, the rice paper is submerged into water for a bit to thoroughly saturate it before shaping it. I find that method makes the paper too wet and more prone to ripping. With my method, the paper is moistened little by little until it's pliable, and easy to shape.

    stretchy rice paper ready to be shaped into ghosts

    How to make rice paper ghosts

    • Lay a piece of rice paper onto the mat. Spray the paper with water, using your hand to rub the water into the paper to soften it and help the paper absorb the water. 
    • Flip the paper over and repeat. Keep flipping the paper and spraying with water until it is a bit elastic, softened and you can no longer see any texture.
    shaping rice paper ghosts on a non stick mat
    • Carefully lift the rice paper from the mat.
    • Shape the paper into a ghost-like shape back onto the mat, tapering off the top and bottom but leaving the center wider to appear more billowy. You can also shape some so that just the bottom tapers, leaving the rest of the ghost billowy.
    • Leave the ghosts to dry until they holds their shape but are still a bit pliable, about 4-6 hours.

    I wanted some of the ghosts to have some movement and curve slightly, sort of like they're flying, so while they're still pliable, the ghosts can be shaped.

    Curve the ghost around a foam cake dummy in the desired shape. Stabilize the shape by securing the ghost with pins. Let the ghost dry completely, overnight.

    shaping the semi dry rice paper ghosts on foam to give them a curved shape

    Attaching the ghosts to the cake

    When the ghosts have dried, usually 8 hours, preferably overnight, they can be decorated. They should be hard, like plastic, with no damp spots. I kept my ghosts super simple by drawing on eyes and an open mouth with a black edible marker. You can definitely get as detailed as you like. For more depth and for the ghosts to stand out a little better, you can use a gray colored petal dust to dust in the crevices of the ghost.

    To attach the ghosts to the cake, I used clear isomalt attached to paper lollipop sticks adhered to the back of the ghosts. This makes the ghosts more stable and secure and also allows them to have more of a 3D look, sort of popping off the cake a bit.

    After heating the isomalt according to packaged instructions, dip the end of a lollipop stick to coat. Be careful when working with isomalt as it is incredibly hot.

    Adhere the isomalt stick to the back of the ghost, preferably where the paper bunches, to make the stick less visible from the front of the ghost.

    Hold the stick in place to dry a bit, then leave the isomalt to cool completely.

    rice paper ghosts on cake

    When the isomalt has cooled, attach the ghosts to the cake by inserting the lollipop sticks into the cake. I recommend inserting them into a cold cake because they will be much more secure, and less prone to falling out or sinking. I overlapped my ghosts and have them facing alternating directions.

    I hope you find loads of creative ways to use these super cute, super easy Halloween rice paper ghosts. If you make these ghosts, tag me on Instagram. I'd love to see them!

    Ash xx

    For more Halloween tutorials, check out these posts:

    Halloween Wafer Paper Mummy Cake Tutorial

    Black Cocoa Cut Out Sugar Cookies

    Halloween Sprinkles Cakesicles

    Easy Halloween Ghost Sugar Cookies

    « Mummy Cake
    Salted Caramel Sauce »

    Comments

    1. Wendi w says

      October 25, 2024 at 10:51 am

      I tried making the ghosts today. I don't have a mat so I used parchment paper and the rice roll doesn't stick. I sped up the process by using my hair dryer. I loved the end result. 👻

      Reply
    2. Amber says

      July 21, 2024 at 1:02 pm

      These are great!
      Every year we theme an intimate Halloween dinner party while celebrating a grandson and son in laws birthday.
      This year the theme is ghosts and these will definitely be a part of the decor.
      ? if we are not eating these does the black marker NEED to be edible?
      Or will a regular sharpie black marker bleed ink?

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        September 06, 2024 at 7:17 pm

        Hi Amber! As long as you remove them from the cake before serving it, then yes, you can use whatever marker you would like.

        Reply
    3. Maggie says

      August 25, 2023 at 12:14 pm

      Hey Ashley, Thanks for great tutorial. Love how transparent the ghosts look. Is the cake wrapped in fondant?

      Reply
    4. Katie says

      October 31, 2022 at 4:03 pm

      How many days ahead can you make these and how would you store them?

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        November 01, 2022 at 4:40 pm

        You can make weeks in advance as long as they're stored properly You want to keep them stored so that they don't come in any contact with humidity or moisture. I like to keep them in a cardboard box lined with paper towels.

        Reply
    5. Elizabeth says

      August 26, 2022 at 10:29 pm

      Super cute!! I'm hoping to do this for Halloween this year. How did you get the texture on your cake?

      Reply
      • Ashley says

        August 30, 2022 at 11:02 am

        Hi Elizabeth! I used a combination of new fondant and dried out fondant mixed and rolled together to create the texture. I also used a wrinkled piece of foil, pressing in to the fondant to add additional texture. I used some pale grey petal dust to highlight some of the cracks and creases to give it a bit of an aged look.

        Reply
      • Wendi w says

        October 25, 2024 at 10:52 am

        I tried making the ghosts today. I don't have a mat so I used parchment paper and the rice roll doesn't stick. I sped up the process by using my hair dryer. I loved the end result. 👻

        Reply
    6. Bobbie Parsons says

      October 19, 2021 at 4:25 am

      Thank you. Simple and very effective

      Reply
    7. maria elena borjas says

      August 25, 2021 at 7:43 am

      Buenos días, me encanta lo que he visto quiero aprender para trabajar tan lindo como ustedes.. y así ofrecer trabajos maravillosos. Gracias

      Reply

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    Ashley Little Vintage Baking

    Hi, I'm Ashley! Welcome to the Little Vintage Baking blog. I am food photographer and recipe developer of mostly sweet, sometimes savory recipes that are always delicious, and elevated, but always approachable. I hope to inspire you with beautiful, tried and true recipes for all skill levels.

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