Ok, back to icing. I'm still not clear how IMBC or SMBC doesn't spoil at room temp (Salmonella aside the whites being cooked are apparently a topic on their own). Obviously it wouldn't happen immediately, but I can't imagine leaving it out overnight (or for 2-3 days as some have said in this thread) is safe in any way shape or form.
Bacteria need a certain amount of water to reproduce. The sugar locks up available water enough to significantly slow the process of spoiling. Obviously, other facters also affect it, like heat, but if you start out killing off the bacteria in the food, and then lock up most of the available water, then the bacteria will have a much more difficult time working on that.
Using meringue-based buttercream and then covering it with fondant pretty much locks out the bacteria to the point where it will be several days before spoilage is an issue.
It's just science.
I am focusing on the "other factors like heat". I live in Florida. My whole reason in starting this thread is because I'd like to have icing that doesn't have to be refrigerated that isn't shortening based. We obviously have EXCESSIVE heat. So how long can it be left out? I use fondant and it gets SOOOO shiney and SOOOO sticky I don't like the look of it. Just hoping there is a solution.
Honestly, the only thing I can think of to recommend is turning up the AC. That's not so much a spoilage factor as it is a melting factor. Meringue-based buttercreams are TERRIBLE for that, because butter has SUCH a low melting point. The fondant, from what I understand, is probably getting shiny and sticky because of the humidity, which is starting to mix with the sugar and melt the fondant.
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