A wedding cake is one of the most important parts of the celebration, dating back to ancient Rome. It had a simpler outfit then, with a flaky texture made of barley. Nowadays, wedding cakes have become as grand as they come, with a generous frosting on top — though the flavor shifts every now and then based on trends. When pastry chef, author, baker, and TV host of “Baking Mad with Eric Landlard” and “Glamour Puds,” Eric Landlard, exclusively spoke with Chowhound, he clued us in on the popular frosting for wedding cakes: fondant. Yes, perhaps we’re saying goodbye to the Naked Cake once and for all, which is the easiest way to decorate a cake without frosting skills. It comes as no surprise because fondant frosting is white — making it the perfect touch for an elegant, all-white wedding cake — and it holds up well even when left outside the fridge for hours.
However, buttercream flavor and cream cheese styles are also catching on, still maintaining the white uniform using whitener. Both are delicious choices; however, Landlard mentions that it’s better to skip them if your wedding is set in the warmer months, as “they demand a lot of internal support and a shorter time of exposure compared to traditional fondant icing, which is more stable.” However, he shared an exciting alternative for a more reliable consistency: French buttercream. We think it might be due to the use of hot sugar syrup, making it less susceptible to heat.
The secret to frosting that can brave any weather
Aside from making sure that your wedding cake is delicious enough to be enjoyed by you, your partner, and your guests, you also want to make sure that it won’t look like a puddle of melted mess before you even have the chance to show off your knife technique in creating the perfect slice. Butter is a common frosting ingredient, but surprisingly, it doesn’t hold its shape for too long because it has a melting point of 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It might be perfect for cupcakes that are consumed immediately, but not for wedding cakes that have to sit outside for hours. If you want the most weather-proof, look out for cakes that use vegetable shortening for the frosting because it has a higher melting point of 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Something like Italian buttercream works well, especially if the meringue is introduced to a high temperature when cooking. But to really seal the deal, it’s best with added shortening, so even if you’re having your wedding in peak summer, the cake will stay pristine. Italian buttercream might sound similar to French buttercream, and while they both can stand warmer weather, the Italian version is sweeter and uses egg whites, as opposed to the French version with egg yolks. Maybe even ask the baker to add condensed milk for the silkiest buttercream frosting yet.
