12 Fall Wedding Cake Ideas To Inspire You

It’s arguably the most popular wedding season, not to mention one of the best times to gather with friends and family; welcome to autumn!

The fall season will give you one last opportunity to take advantage of an outdoor ceremony before it gets to be too cold, and with out of this world seasonal foliage and colors to play with, it is no wonder autumn reigns supreme when it comes to wedding celebrations. 

If you’re looking for an autumnal wedding cake and dessert ideas, there are countless directions to go in. So grab a latte, strap in, and let’s get to discussing all of the ways you can make your big day unforgettably sweet, and seasonally on-point!

Just don’t forget to go wild with decorating the table and cake stand too. ‘Tis the season of abundance, so go ahead and harvest up some of our favorite fall wedding cake ideas!

Feature Seasonal Fruit

When you think of all the delicious flavors of autumn, what immediately comes to mind? Fruit of course! So why not incorporate some gorgeous fruit in to your wedding cake?

Now we want to encourage you to think further than the traditional pumpkin spice (although we love it, we can’t lie). It’s your big day, so let’s go beyond basic!

For example, think about including apple flavors into your dessert table with a stack of apple cider doughnuts, or even mini ones!

You could feature apple flavors in the actual cake itself, or consider decorating the table with lots of apple-y delights. Be sure to support a local apple farm if you do end up going this route! 

Try to integrate eye-catching and tasty fruits like cranberries, persimmons, and pomegranates. Not only are these flavors delicious, but the fruits themselves, simply sliced in half, look divine as decorations!

Don’t forget how delicious chocolate is with fruit too! Envision naked chocolate cakes that put the spotlight on fruit, or an irresistible wedding cake with accents like figs, which traditionally have symbolized abundance and unity.

Dried Fruit Natural Dried Fruit Scented Pot Pourri

Each bag is individually hand filled and consists of green and orange split oranges, red and green apple slices, orange slices, lemon slices, mini pumpkins, mini cones and mixed red chillies.

You also can’t go wrong with a generous helping of various seasonal berries, raspberries, currants, or even dried fruits either piled on, or scattered around, your cake. An autumn wedding cake just wouldn’t be complete without some fruity confection!

Go a Little Nuts

Disclaimer: as you’re planning your wedding, do note any food allergies from guests, because nut allergies, in particular, do not play around! The last thing we’d want is for an epi-pen scramble to evolve during dessert hour!

That being said, if you’re able to incorporate these tasty morsels into your fall theme, go nuts! Think about classic combinations like chocolate and hazelnut (hello, Nutella, anybody?), pecan and brown sugar, or even peanuts and caramel.

For all the chocolate lovers out there, any type of chocolate cake with nuts is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Even walnuts in a moist carrot cake with decadent cream cheese frosting is perfect for a fall wedding dessert table.

Oregon Farm Fresh Snacks Toffee Peanuts

There’s no reason why toffee and peanuts need anything more! They’re already a match made in snacker’s heaven. We kept our peanut toffee bits clean and simple so you get nothing but pure n’ nutty nom nom.

Hot tip: if you happen to be making your own wedding cake and you’re incorporating some nuts, toasting, roasting, and then sugaring them lightly will bring out their flavor more intensely. Lifehack for bakers!

Spice Up Your Life

What’s more comforting than a cup full of warm spiced flavor? With so many seasonal flavors to choose from, you can’t go wrong with any cozy spiced combinations for a cake. These include cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and chai. 

Think about your favorite fall drink- a pumpkin spice latte could easily be translated into a tasty coffee cake. Or a hot cup of spiced tea with a cinnamon stick and clove-y warmth (perfect on a blustery Autumn day) could be turned into a delicious and subtle spice cake.

Add some sweetness in the form of brown sugar, local area honey, salted caramel, brown butter, and dusted powdered sugar. The combinations are truly endless, and the guests are definitely going to want several pieces of cake!

Now we’re dreaming about a spiced rum-soaked cake with candied ginger, caramel drizzle, and brown sugar crumble… thanks for that. 

Vying for Vines

Let’s talk about decorating!

With a cake as your blank canvas, think about how to incorporate the earth’s seasonal changes into your autumnal aesthetic. 

Cake Hoop - Dried Flower Cake Decor

These are real dried flowers, each are individual and therefore, sizes and shapes may vary slightly.

If your wedding is going to feature ivy or eucalyptus vines, it’s a smart idea to incorporate some garlands at the dessert table for a cohesive look. The good thing is, vines and wreaths are super easy to DIY, too!

Into the Woods

The look of falling leaves is so romantic, and the reason so many couples choose to take their engagement photos in the woods during autumn. 

Fall gives the perfect opportunity to incorporate leaf details and natural foliage into your wedding cake. Think about edible maple leaves made out of fondant, or a pine wreath around the cake stand for example.

You can never have too many autumn leaves sprinkled everywhere! It’s fall, after all. The ‘leafier’, the better.

Fall Maple Leaves Cake Edible Decorations

These leaves are made with Gum Paste and are edible and will keep forever. These would look great on top of cakes your are decorating and/or cupcakes that you want to add a personal touch too.

You can also spruce things up (no pun intended) by going as far as to make your cake look like a birch tree with realistic birch wood effects!

This is the time to take advantage of everything Mother Nature has to offer, so go wild with the wooded decor. There are so many bakers who are more than capable to make your seasonal dreams come true!

Falling for Flowers

Of course, we wouldn’t forget the flowers!

Pro tip: if you’re trying to save money, buy wedding flowers that are in season- that way you cut down on costs for out-of-season flowers that may need to be shipped from a location, far, far away. 

Traditionally, fall flowers include chrysanthemums, pansies, purple aster, and black-eyed susans. You can use the petals (dried or fresh!) to decorate the cake or put fresh blooms on it for a gorgeously organic topper. 

If you’re going for a romantic look, a hefty dash of arranged roses, lilies, and dahlias won’t hurt either. And they come in a wide variety of colors, too!

Whichever flowers are the most meaningful to you and your partner are ultimately the best choice. Arrange them asymmetrically, or cluster them at the base of the cake for a visually modern look. 

A Literal Cornucopia 

Go for a tall cake this fall and feature a cornucopia cluster cascade! Nothing screams “bountiful wedding blessings” than a beautifully decorated cake after all. 

You can include any of the aforementioned fruits, berries, and flowers to really get creative. Use fresh as well as frosting and fondant decorations to mix it up. 

For a modern look, pair your overflowing bounties with a geometric, simply frosted buttercream cake, or even a naked cake so the cornucopia features really pop.

Part of the appeal of the cornucopia aesthetic is that you can keep everything else easy, so a simple cake will serve you well if you do decide to go this route.

Playing with Palettes

Tie in your cake in with your overall fall theme with pops of seasonal color. An autumn palette can encapsulate the beauty of fall sunsets or the whimsy of vibrant falling leaves.

Trendy wedding cake-looks include “painted” cakes or splashes of colors on a white background. 

Play around with color combinations like burnt sienna, creamy pumpkin, golds, coppers, burgundies. Any sort of ombré combination (combré? We’re coining that) could serve you well too!

You can’t go wrong with a traditional wedding cake to start, but if you’re feeling creative, give it an artistic spin. After all, it’s your big day!

If you want to go monochromatic and classic, a traditional white wedding cake or all-black naked wedding cake is also visually stunning.

Themed Cakes

Getting married close to Halloween or Thanksgiving? Themed weddings are all the rage and will be a timeless memory for all your guests.

You can tie in your cake with holiday cake toppers, but don’t forget- themes aren’t just for the holidays!

We love the look of a “Paul Bunyan and Babe The Blue Ox” theme, which is both adorable and autumnal.

Halloween Wedding Cake Topper

Perfect for your Halloween wedding! Show off your cake in style and use this Til Death Do Us Part Halloween wedding cake topper to show off your spooky decorations.

If you’re into the dark and romantic themes, moody shades will serve you well for a Halloween-themed wedding. Think dark, purple flowers, a black wedding cake, and spookily romantic decorations with lots of candles for ambient lighting. 

You could even play with themes like cozy flannel or buffalo plaid and subsequently incorporate those into your wedding cake. If your guy is a lumberjack sort of fella, red flannel is a must-have!

In short, an autumnal wedding can celebrate anything that makes the fall season special to the two of you.

Go Alternative This Autumn

Not into traditional cakes in general? Luckily the fall season allows for a great variety of desserts and tasty delights. 

Think about a loaded cinnamon roll cake, piled high with ooey-gooey deliciousness. Even better if you and your partner are into breakfast goodies.

Think about a bag of warm apple cider donuts. You can do individual bags for the guests, or a donut wall, or even better- a donut tower!

What about mini cakes? You can decorate each one to tie in to your theme perfectly and make it all look cohesive. 

Go for the ultimate Instagrammable crepe cake, with impossibly paper-thin layers of delicious crepes. When cut open for the big reveal, consider having the crepes colored with your wedding colors and stacked in a creative way!

Blueberry Cheesecake

Fresh blueberries combined with sugar, eggs and Philadelphia Cream Cheese gives this cheesecake its deep blue-purple appeal.

Even cheesecake is a wonderfully decadent option for weddings. Who doesn’t like a sinfully rich cheesecake topped with berries and cream?

Don’t think we forgot about the existence of pies, either. Go for a delicious pie tower with assorted sweet treats for your own personal sweet bakeshop vibes!

Cake pops are a classic wedding must-have too, and are a great option if you’re feeling indecisive between several flavors. Why not have them all? 

Design Your Dream Dessert

Jazz up your dream wedding cake by paying special attention to the little details. Consider getting creative with piping, gold details, custom fondant pieces, and designs.

There are a thousand ways to elevate cake piping. Creative woven macrame piping, for example, gives us all the romantic boho feels.

KINNO Edible Genuine Gold Leaf Flakes

The edible gold flakes are the ideal food decoration. You can use the gold leaf flakes to decorate cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, chocolates, desserts, baking goods, and more. 

You also can’t go wrong with gilded gold edges. Gold foil can make a huge difference in elevating your wedding cake, and a little bit goes a long way!

When it comes to fondant, we love a classic, decadently marbled look. There are even festive fondant leaves that look staggeringly realistic. 

Go for a sparkling geode cake, bursting with amethyst rock candy and lined with metallic edges for an unforgettably chic wedding treat and a showstopper for your autumnal dessert table.

Showstopper Toppers

Last but not least is the wedding cake topper!

After you’ve figured out your cake’s frosting, decorations, flavors, and all of the other fun stuff- now is the time to truly make it your own.

Fishing Adirondack Chairs Campfire Cake Topper

What a cute wedding cake topper for your special day! Everyone will be commenting on this fishing cake topper.

Make the most of the autumn season and pair a couple of classic Adirondack chairs on the top of your cake. Give it some extra decoration with a little campfire and really bring home the cozy vibes. 

Leaves Fall Cake Topper in Your Initials

Accent your Fall wedding cake with a special topper created just for you. Enter initials in personalization box to customize for you. 

You can also utilize your initials in a beautiful wooden wreath. Or a simple ‘Fall in Love” cake topper will summarize your love for all to see.

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