Crusting buttercream gets harder when it dries.... I won't be creamy and sticky to the touch. Its made with all Crisco or part Crisco and part butter.
Non crusting buttercream is the one that has all butter and therefore does not get hard. It stays soft.
I asked the same question. I would love to find a crusting buttercream recipe that uses butter, isn't so sweet but still provides a nice crust. I usually use all butter in my buttercreams but sometimes they become to soft in the heat. Any suggestions?
The BC recipe I use with butter crusts really well.
1/2 cup crisco
1/2 cup butter, room temp but not mushy
4 cups PC
1 Tablespoon merangue powder
1 teaspoon vanilla or flavor of choice
Try this out, it tastes great and crusts, you can even use the Viva paper towel method with it.
I read somewhere that in non-US countries, you can substitute coconut fat for crisco (which is a more readily available vegetable shortening), and can make a buttercream that way that will crust.
Be careful, though - some people with nut allergies are also allergic to cocounut, and coconut fat . . . so be clear with people that your buttercream icing has coconut fat in it if you go that route.
A good example of a crusting buttercream is the Wilton recipe. I've heard of people that use butter and still have crusting buttercream though it may take longer to crust than with all shortening.
The sugar to fat ratio is what effects the crusting factor.
In the Wilton recipe you have 1 cup of fat (crisco/butter) to 1lb of powder sugar. If you do 1 cup of fat to 2lbs of powder sugar you will have an icing that is drier and crusts alot faster than the 1 cup to 1 lb.
When you get larger amounts of fat to sugar such as 2 or 3 cups of fat to 1lb of powder sugar you will get an icing that does not crust. The Whimsical House Buttercream is an good example of a buttercream that does not crust.
Your meringue icings also do not crust, such at the Italian Meringue or the Swiss Meringue icings do not crust either.
My problem with the 1 cup fat to 1 lb. powdered sugar is that I find the buttercream to sweet. I don't mean to be difficult.
I was just wondering if I could find a recipe that has it all. How does meringue powder affect the recipe?
For less sweet then you may have to go for a non crusting icing. Many love the Whimsical Bakehouse or the IMBC because they are not as sweet as regular buttercream.
Some say adding salt helps cut the sweetness. I've also read some say that adding almond makes it less sweet. Try them and see what you think.
As far as meringue powder, it doesn't cut sweetness. It is said to help stablize icing and to help it crust but you can have a crusting icing with out it (try the Wilton Class Buttercream without it and it still crusts just fine). It's also said to help keep your darker colors from bleeding as fast. But adding meringue powder to a non crusting icing is not going to make it crust.
Merangue powder is just a stabilizer. Crusting BC is always going to be pretty sweet, not much you can do. Are you adding a pinch of salt. This will bring out the vanilla flavor as well as help cut the sweetness.
The Whipped Cream Buttercream recipe from this site is really good and not too sweet, you should try it when you do not need a crusting buttercream.
If you are going to use salt in your recipe, dissolve it in the liquid you add to the recipe, or you may end up with grittiness in your buttercream.
Theresa 
I read some place that if you are going to be using violet / purple colors, salt can affect the color.
aliekitn99
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