I'm baking a 3 tiered red velvet cake next week.  Originally I was going to use american buttercream as a filling, now I'm thinking of using the Ermine frosting.  I've used it on red velvet cupcakes before, but not in a cake. A couple questions:

1)  Does it hold up without refrigeration, in terms of texture and food safety?  I've read different opinions.. Considering it was used around WWII, I would think it would be fine on the counter for a day?

2)  Can this get as smooth as american buttercream to frost the outside?  I want to ice it very smooth - no fondant.

Thanks for your help!

- Nadia

You can get this cooked frosting very smooth.  

You can use the same weight of powdered sugar instead of granulated, and strain the cooked mixture through a fine sieve after cooking to guarantee that it is smooth.  It will NOT crust but a metal spatula dipped in a cup of boiling water will get it glass smooth.

I personally would keep this cake under construction refrigerated whenever possible--I would let it sit at room temperature ONLY at the actual wedding.  

But I'm an old-school fogy with different personal limits of food safety. In the 1950's and before, the more common wedding-cake icings were either dry royal or cooked meringue, which are definitely stable at room temperature. 

Thanks for your help! Since I'll be decorating, and the cake will be unrefrigerated for hours, I guess I should use a traditional buttercream then.  Does anyone have any other suggestions on good unrefrigerated frostings to use with red velvet?

Cream cheese is a very popular pairing with RV.  I would find a good flavoring (some use Lorann's Cheesecake oil) or a stabilized cream cheese recipe to use.  Earlene Moore's website has one, although I've never made it many others have!