Beautiful Silver Rustic Wedding Cake

This month, my step-son and his girlfriend married. When they asked if I could bake their wedding cake, I was overjoyed. When the Bride informed me her sole request was red flowers, I was even more delighted. YES!! (Insert fist pump). I like it when I am given creative freedom rather than merely a photo of a cake to duplicate. Whether you own a cake decorating company or do it as a hobby, you’ll understand what I mean.

So, let’s go back to the topic. I was thrilled that I could match their aesthetic with my own. I asked them the standard questions, such as “Do you want contemporary, traditional, or country?” I began sketching some design alternatives for them after learning about their style.

I went crazy and drew four other cake concepts, and this is the one they chose.

The wedding was two hours away, and driving this beast was a heart attack waiting to happen. I had to spend a lot of time praying. Oh, and I wrote a post on how I travel with cakes.

So let’s go back to the subject. This wedding cake is a kind of mash-up of everything I’m currently into. There’s a lot going on here, but it all works for me.

I love how the rustic wood panels on the top layer contrast with the glittering silver and then the feminine ruffles at the bottom.

The wood panels are rustic, but the addition of silver in the crevices made it more attractive. The silver tier, on the other hand, is my favorite since, well, it’s silver! The bottom tier’s petal-like ruffles resemble huge rose petals, and I believe it adds an ethereal touch.

So, let’s get started:

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The Rustic Top Tier:

Sweet-Couture crush.com’s Cakes method was used to create the top layer. The woman is a true cake artist who thinks beyond the box. I’m not going to show you the instruction since it’s hers and not mine to display. I took her guide as a starting point and tweaked a few things to get the appearance I want. If you want to learn how to do it, go here to download her guide.

And, no, I was not compensated for talking nice things about her. She’s a natural talent, and you should check out her instructional.

Check out my Homemade Rustic 4th of July Cake post on my site for another method to construct the wood panels. You may paint them whatever color you like, and if you want the silver effect I did, just use edible silver dust instead of the dark brown dust used in the instruction. It will appear different than this cake, but it will still be appealing.

If you want to learn how to create gumpaste flowers, I have a guide here: Making Huge Gumpaste Flowers

The Silver Middle Tier:

Supplies you’ll need:

• your cake tier covered with fondant. I use this recipe for making fondant. I’ve tried many many brands and other recipes and this one, by far, is the best. It’s easy to make and it doesn’t tear or get that ugly elephant skin. Try it!
• edible silver luster dust (I used three different kinds…I mixed Edible Hybrid LUSTER Dusts in Nu Silver, Dark Silver and Sparkle Dust in Nu Silver for ‘polishing’.
• Large brushes (like large powder or blush brushes)
• Lemon extract or vodka (the vodka is for when the kids are wrestling and screaming and you’re all stressed out trying to put a cake together…ok just kidding…don’t drink and cake.)

And now for my favorite part: metallic!

This tier is not difficult to complete. I usually make three layers of cake for each tier. It puts me at approximately 5 feet tall. I like taller cakes.

For all of my layers, I also used white chocolate ganache. I’m sure you could use buttercream, but I couldn’t make my fondant as silky as I do with ganache.

So you’ll cover your cake with ganache or buttercream, followed by fondant. You may dye your fondant gray if you want a deeper silver finish. (Note some grays will have a tint of green and others will have a hint of purple, so color many days before you have to use it so youll have time to alter it if required). For my cake, I just used white fondant.

Imprint a design all over the edges of the tier using an imprint mat. This hides it and gives it a sleek contemporary appearance. One thing to keep in mind with metallic-finish cakes. When you paint your fondant metallic, it will expose any and all defects, and I mean All imperfections. Therefore, when you’ve coated your cake with fondant, I recommend taking a careful look at it. Is there anything bulging? Since the cake settled more, lines or ridges? Are there any fingernail marks? Are there any pin holes were you had an air bubble? If that’s the case, get a texture.

Don’t put off making a decision for too long. You cannot impress fondant after it has dried.

So, you’re going to be utilizing a lot of luster dust here now. In a mixing dish, combine your two luster dusts. You’ll probably utilize at least half of each jar’s contents. Don’t add the sparkling dust yet. It will come in handy later.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your dusts are edible. If they are edible, they will have edible written on them. Even if they come from a cake decorating source, not all dusts are edible. The other dusts are non-toxic, which is ideal for sugar flowers that no one will eat, but this cake will be dusted with luster dust. Indeed, edibles are a few bucks more expensive. Not nearly as much as being sued because someone became ill, or the amount of guilt you’ll feel if you don’t consider their health.

Well, lesson finished, let’s go on.

Now add the lemon essence or vodka. Mix it with the brush until it reaches the desired consistency. You don’t want it as thick as mercury, but you also don’t want it too runny. Even if you obtain the appropriate consistency, it will still leak a bit, so don’t put this layer on the bottom tier until it has dried.

Just paint the cake using a brush. Long paint strokes are desired. When spinning my turntable, I paint horizontal lines. Don’t forget about the top.

Now, take your dry brush and go over everything softly in long strokes. This will smooth out any lumps.

Let it to dry for a few minutes. That is not difficult. Wait for around 20 minutes. Take a breather. (Don’t start drinking vodka now; you have work to accomplish.)

Pour some of your glitter dust (the other silver dust we didn’t use to paint with) onto a paper plate after your break. I prefer paper plates because you can fold them in half and use them as a funnel to dump your unneeded dust back into the jar when you’re through.

Now, take your dry brush (wipe any luster dust pieces off it first) and dip it into the DRY sparkle dust. Using the sparkling dust, softly polish around the cake and the top. This is what brings out the radiance. I guarantee you that this step is worthwhile and makes a significant impact. This will make your cake nearly as glossy as if you used silver leaf without having to deal with silver leaf.

Your tier should be polished. Just run the brush across the cake in long strokes. Since the dust will spread everywhere, cover the surrounding area with something and you may even wish to wear a mask. Unless you want to sneeze glitter, that is. (Well, I went a little too far.) Just go around and gently buff.

That’s all there is to it! Your gleaming metallic tier. Don’t go smearing your fingers all over this layer. Just be cautious while handling it and stacking it on the bottom layer.

To make it appear more completed, I put a pearl border around the bottom.

I also added some gorgeous white blooms with silver tips.

The Ruffle/Petal Bottom Tier:

This layer, like the others in this cake, was roughly 5 inches tall. This tier’s ruffles disappear soon. It is not necessary to be very accurate, which is usually a benefit.

You should stack any levels that will be placed on top of the petal tier. The top layer of petals will protrude over the tier, making it difficult to build a cake on top of it later.

For ruffles, I now use my KitchenAid pasta roller attachment. That saves me a lot of time and prevents neck ache from rolling out.

The key to these ruffles is to keep them thin. As you connect them to your cake, you may have to experiment with how thin you can go before they start to collapse back on you. With my pasta machine roller, I prefer to use a number 3. I didn’t want my petals to bend too far back. I simply wanted them to have a small curvature, but it all depends on the appearance you desire.

You want enormous ruffles like this, and you want them curled. Hence, after rolling them out, just bend the top of the strip while leaving the bottom straight. When you slice these petals,

Begin at the top of the cake and connect the petals with a dab of water on the back. The top of the petal should protrude over the top of the cake layer.

Continue to add petals. Go about, leaving some space between the petals you’re adding, and then fill up the gaps with overlapping petals. After you’ve completed the first horizontal line, just work your way down the cake layer until it’s completely covered. As you reach the bottom, trim your petals a bit thinner.

The last step is to add a border of pearls.

Finishing the Elegant Rustic Silver Wedding Cake:

You’ve already constructed your two bottom levels; all that remains is to build your top tier and add your sugar flowers.

By the way, I only travel with two levels. I simply don’t feel like having a heart attack, so I pack my top layer and add it when I get at the location. Don’t forget to read this page for cake transportation advice.

I’m quite pleased with how it came out.

Would you like to view a brief slideshow of how this cake was created? To see it, please click the link below.

The bride and groom were thrilled, and I wish them the best of luck.

And don’t forget to check out the groom’s cake! Here’s an idea: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away

As usual, send me an email if you have any questions regarding this video or cake decorating in general!

I’d be delighted to hear from you!

REMEMBER TO PIN IT FOR LATER!