Okay,
I am a huge fan of Sugar Shack (Susan). I have spent oh so much money because of her on all kinds of cool "cake stuff".
I made her icing for the first time and loved it. I used some of it uncolored and it was perfect. Then I colored some blue (it is the spongebob cake in my pictures) and it became greasy-very greasy. It also didn't crust that well. What did I do wrong?

Also, does anyone know how it holds up in the heat? I usually use a crisco resicpe when doing a cake for something outdoors, but I really like the way this icing finishes (when it isn't greasy).

I had that happen to me with another buttercream recipe recently. Someone else told me that I might have used too much color. Did you use gel? Did you use a few drops or squeeze tons in like I did?

Can't help you with the other stuff... I've never made Sugarshack's recipe.

What brand and type of color did you use? And how much did you use?

FYI, hi-ratio has more emulsifiers and stabilizers than Crisco, so it will be more stable in hot weather.

HTH

I used Wilton brand gel colors. I dipped a toothpick in the color and than ran it through the icing. I only needed a medium blue so I only did it once, but maybe that was too much. I haven't had the problem before I started using Sugar Shack's recipe and I really want to keep using, so should I just use something else if I need to color the icing?

I had a greasy batch of buttercream because I bought the wrong "Great Value" shortening. Both have the same blue label, however, one says "all vegetable" and one does not. I know crisco took out the transfat, and the great value brand has it in it....but in my strore there are 2 versions of the great value and one left me with floating grease! It was so yukky!

I did not use Lard or Crisco, I used Sweetex just like the recipe calls for.

Yep Win..that's the yukky, wrong shortening I grabbed. I've switched back to the buttercream that the ratio of butter to shortening is the same. I just don't have luck with the all shortening buttercream. Cari....I am clueless as to why you got the grease. Hope someone can help you.