Wedding Cake Frosting

If it's a summer wedding, I always say to make Italian buttercream, because it's the most stable=sturdy.

How buttery you want it depends on how much butter you mount into the meringue. Remember that frosting is just that - meaning the best frosting is one that complements the cake. I agree that a frostingless cake is an option, but it all depends on 1. how you will transport the cake, 2. where the cake will be sitting, and for how long, before everyone slices and eats it, and 3. how long before the wedding day you will be making/finishing the cake.

Most wedding cakes are frozen solid before transport. I won't bore you with summer melting wedding cake stories, but they aren't pretty. No one wants to see the bride crying...

If you don't love the taste of butter, or even if you do, I strongly urge you to add salt and vanilla extract to your frosting of choice. Salt really makes a huge difference in helping balance fat & sugar.

I hope this helps. Good for you for taking on the task! Wedding cakes are serious business. Check out cake posts on Smitten Kitchen too - she has great step by step pictures. But no one is more helpful than Rose!

Have you tried Rose Levy Beranbaum's White Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream? http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/white-chocolate-cream-cheese-buttercream-frosting-52427771

If you (and the bride & groom, obviously!) are willing to consider something "out of the box," maybe think about not using frosting at all? It's a little more casual, yes, but it is 100% possible to make a beautiful delicious tiered layer cake, that's wedding-appropriate, sans frosting. Google "Martha Stewart unfrosted wedding cake" for pictures - there's one in particular, with cherries on it, that I think of every time someone says "homemade summer wedding cake."

Italian buttercream is my personal favorite. And also, a boiled milk or ermine frosting which is sometimes called Miracle Frosting.

Have you tried Rose Levy Beranbaum's Silk Meringue Buttercream recipe? Her blog and books are inspirational.

I suggest trying a 7 minute frosting (my favorite and always looks beautiful but is more rustic looking), or yogurt frosting which is SO delicious (https://roostbooks.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/lomelinoscakes_cardamomcake.pdf) -- not sure if either of those will hold up well enough, but they're two of my favorites flavor-wise (I'm not really into buttercream). Good luck!