So I just made a batch, because I didn't really understand it until I made it (lol I'm a bit slow today ) and I have some questions.

If I make it ahead of time, do I have to re whip it before using?

Does it crust?

Can you make roses and stuff out of it?

Can you use it under fondant?

Sorry that's a lot of questions. Please help if you know any of them!

Did you make the "House" Buttercream? or "Kaye's" I've tried the "House" and would prob not use again. It was very hard to work with. I had to refrigerate it before I spread it on, then the buttercream I was decorating with I kept chilled as well while I worked with it, I chilled the crumbcoat and the top layer. Then I did my borders and decorations. I kept the cake in the fridge until I served it. I was afraid it would melt. In the recipes defense it was VERY hot and humid the day I did it last summer. I didnt post the pic as was not a cc member yet, but here it is. The taste was light and fluffy and everyone liked it, but I've never been so nervous about my regular buttercream. I dont work with fondant so cant help there. It never crusted and I didnt whip it after refrigerating.

Which one did you make? If I remember correctly, the House is shortening-based, and Kaye's is an Italian Meringue, right? (I'll answer as if its Kaye's, based on your questions.)

I use Italian Meringue all the time, and the recipe is almost identical to Kaye's. It does not crust like shortening-based, but does stiffen up when refridgerated, just like butter (which is what it mostly is), and is very temp-stable once its on the cake. Because the heat from my hand warms and softens the IMBC in the piping bag, I fill two bags with couplers, and keep one in the fridge while using the other one. When it starts softening, I'll switch and stick the first in the fridge, and so on.

It works as a thin crumbcoat under fondant (which is mostly what I work with) and fills very nicely, too! I say "thin crumbcoat" because my fondant cakes are at room temp a long time, so the IMBC stays soft (it wouldn't hold a sharp edge under the weight of fondant). My favorite is to add some raspberry puree to the completed vanilla, at the very end of mixing. It can really hold a lot of puree and still be stable).

Overall, it is perfect and delicious for buttercream only cakes. I fill and crumbcoat with it on my fondant cakes. Everyone (but my FIL whole likes crusty too-sweet buttercream) thinks its divine. There are many threads on here that might help if you search IMBC.

About rewhipping it: it MUST be fully at room temp. If its cold at all and you start whipping, it separates into little curdles and is irretrievable. At room temp, just put it back in the mixer with the whip attachment and fluff it up again. Hope this helps!

I use thw WBH house recipe all the time.I pipe borders,flowers etc with it.It is very soft when first made so refridegrating it helps.If I know I am piping roses or flowers I keep that icing really cold because as someone stated it gets quite warm and feels like it is melting..but honestly that's all I use and my customers love it.I think it is a dream to smooth instead of regular crusting BC.It depends on what you like etc...I like the soft whipped bakery icings so that is why I use it.

About the curdling...I've been successful de-curdling with a hot blowdrier aimed at the metal bowl only when making it for the first time (the original batch), but never when re-whipping. I'll have to try that if I ever jump the gun again and re-whip too soon. Thanks for the tip : )