Hi, I'm looking for a new buttercream recipe to use and I'm thinking of trying SMBC but what kind of decorating is it good for? can I make flowers with it? how long can it stay out of the fridge for? (eggs make me kinda nervous to use) or if you can help me find another recipe, I have looked in all the recipes but there are just so many to choose from I'm not sure were to start. Thanks for helping!!

i've found (as a newcomer to SMBC) that it decorates very well except that it takes heat MUCH MUCH quicker than a shortening based BC... but just pop your decorating bag in the fridge and all is good again...

i love the taste over other BC's...

This thread has lots of great pics of how IMBC can be used for decorating

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-404613-0.html

jkalman has a great recipe here in the recipe section, as does melysa, if you want SMBC.

IMBC makers swear by ShirleyW's recipe, although I myself like the Mousseline Buttercream recipe from the Cake Bible (found by googling it).

The two icings btw are nearly identical, some say SMBC is a wee bit less stable in heat, meaning, starts getting soft 1-2 degrees sooner than IMBC, but otherwise they're the same. The difference is in the cooking method. I can't seem to get SMBC to work out for me so I stick with IMBC and use pasteurized egg whites.

excellent question....I'm also very wary about using the egg whites but I bought some last night and I'm going to give it a try........can anyone let me know how long SMBC can sit out? Many times I ice my cake the night before delivery ...I'm assuming with egg whites it would have to be refridgerated??

Spoonful you will always get varying answers on that. I go by the things I've read which states that MBC's must be refrigerated. However there are a lot on this site (licensed bakers with many years of experience) who swear by NOT refrigerating. I don't think there is a right answer, it depends on what you are comfortable with. I never worry about it being out all day (the day it is being served), but I always tell people to refrigerate the leftovers....but that's just me.

As a side note, if your pasteurized egg whites don't work, try another brand. I myself can't get All Whites to whip up. However the supermarket plain-wrap brand works fine, as does the brand sold at Trader Joe's.