Well, i tried the recipe of Dede Wilsons. ive never made IMBC before. what is it supposed to be like? I think i may have added the butter too soon, the meringue deflated quickly and the icing is shiny and very very soft, almost like warm ice cream. im hoping i made it wrong cause i sure dont like the taste or feel of it. It has been in the fridge now all afternoon so it is hard as a block of butter. I need to make this for a wedding cake, so any tips you have please let me know. also how long can the cake sit out and will it stay on the cake, i can see it sliding off.
Try using ShirleyW's recipe on this site. I've tried it twice, the first time it was very slippery and unappealing, but the second time it turned out fluffy and delicious. I don't know what I did different, but I think this is one of those recipes that is a touch temperamental. Might take a little practice.
I may have added my butter too soon the first time, too, I felt like I was mixing it FOREVER waiting for it to cool down.
I use a recipe by Collette Peters and have not had it get slimy or shiny, but I have overwhipped it and nearly had butter!! I did add butter a little too early once but remember reading that if you continue to whip it, the texture will change back...mine did and it was fine. Its very important to wait for the outside of the bowl to feel room temp. It takes up to 15 minutes sometimes for mine to cool down. I read somewhere that you could take a bowl of ice and rest the bottom of your mixing bowl in it to help cool it....haven't tried that yet.
If you take it out of the fridge and let it come completely back to room temp, then whip it again, you should get a better texture. I've found its actually rather forgiving! 
HTH
ignore me, I just found the recipe ! Should check before asking !!
Normally keep whipping it and it will come together. Also, if you add a little bit of brandy it makes it come together that much quicker.
A couple of things that may have happened, the butter may have been too soft when you beat it in, it needs to be slightly firm, not solid and cold but just so it gives a little bit if you squeeze the wrapped stick. I am speaking of the IMBC I posted, not Dede's but if hers is a cooked sugar syrup it could also be that you poured the syrup in too quickly and deflated the egg whites. I pour mine with the mixer on low and just adding it at a steady pace, not too slow and not all at once too fast. You may still be able to salvage it by chilling in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then beat again, start on low speed till it combines and then turn to high speed and beat till fluffy and it begins to leave the sides of the bowl, and the mixer sound changes. I know that sounds strange, but it starts out with the mixer making it's usual whirring noise, when the icing is ready the texture changes and the mixer sound changes to a slapping noise. I think many times people just don't beat it for a long enough time, it takes about 8-10 minutes to completely come together.
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