Easy Rustic Cake {Tiered Cake}

Learn how to make tiered rustic cake for Autumn weddings, Fall birthdays or Thanksgiving parties, using gourds, pumpkin seeds and edible sprays!

Every year, I like to make a grand Autumn cake. I am not going to lie and say these are "easy-to-make" cakes because they are not. They require hours of work and are totally over the top! However, the end result is just magical and worth every minute. For a more beginner friendly Fall cake, try this Chocolate Tree Cake {Fall or Thanksgiving}. For another more advanced option try this Autumn Cake {Fall Cake} that will make a stunning table centerpiece.

How to make easy rustic cake from scratch?

1. Bake, level, and fill cakes- Adding frosting between layers.
2. Ice the cake- Making "C" shapes all over the cake.
3. Stack cakes-With dowels inserted for support.
4. Let the cake "dry"- Until frosting doesn't feel wet and sticky.
5. Spray cake- Using gold and silver edible spray.
6. Add small plastic gourds- On the cake.
7. Add pumpkin seeds and edible leaves- Around the base of the cake and near gourds.

What is a rustic cake?

It's something that looks homemade and has a natural earthy look to it.

How to make tiered cake?

The most important thing is proper support system within each layer. I like to use bubble tea straws between each tier and a wooden dowel pierced through the center of the entire cake structure. This prevents each layer from crushing the one below it with its weight. Make sure you cut the straws to the exact height of the cake layer they are within. Also, cut the dowel rod to the same height as the entire cake structure so that you don't see it stick out the top.

Variations for rustic birthday cake

For birthday cake- Stick a lot of small candles on the very top tier.

Try other cake flavors- Such as Moist Carrot Cake , Easy Ginger Cake, or Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake. I used pumpkin all throughout but you can make different tiers different flavors, if you like.

Try a different chocolate frosting- Such as Chocolate Whipped Cream, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe, or Chocolate Ganache Frosting {2 Ingredient}.

Add a filling- I didn't add a filling, but you can one such as Crockpot Pumpkin Butter or Homemade Caramel Sauce.

Make it 2 tiered- You can make a smaller version by leaving off the top layer of cake.

Tips and techniques for rustic wedding cake 

Where to buy edible sprays? You can buy them online on Amazon or Wilton, or at the cake decorating aisle in Walmart, Hobby Lobby, or Michaels.

Don't skip the dowels/ bubble tea straws- Because that's key for holding this tiered cake structure in place. You need it for support!

Use plastic gourds- Because they are light and will not dig into the cake. I recommend these over real gourds which are just too heavy and can ruin all your hard work.

Don't use edible sprays on a freshly frosted cake- Let the frosted cake sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This creates a very subtle crust on the icing and the gold/silver looks much better when sprayed.

Don't get too close when spraying- Because it will create heavy blobs that look plain ugly. You want the gold and silver to have a sprayed pattern.

Make sure you spray in a well-ventilated area- Because although it's safe and edible, the smell is strong. 

Make sure to wash the plastic gourds before using them- Because they may be dirty from the store, and since they are an inedible item you want them as clean as possible.

Cool cake completely before icing- Because it prevents the frosting from melting and sliding off the cake.

What size cakes to use? The bottom square cake dimensions are 10x3. The middle round cake is 8x3. The top round cakes are two 6x3 inch cakes.

Storage of decorated cake

Refrigerate- In a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Freeze- Unfrosted cakes and frostings can be stored separately in sealed containers. When you are ready to make this cake, thaw to room temperature and assemble, as per instructions below.

More easy cake designs

• Chocolate Pretzel Cake {With Ganache Frosting}
• Easy Love Cake
• Chocolate Popcorn Cake
• Easy Candy Corn Cake {With Frosting}
• Easy Sushi Cake {Fun For Birthdays}

Recipe