Is SMBC too soft for piping ruffles on an hombre cake?  Do I need to choose a buttercream with shortening in it?

i would use a buttercream that is sturdier--that will look crisper and that will not succumb to the heat of my hand as readily--it would be rather miserable to pipe that much meringue buttercream y'know--

it is possible but i would not want to use it for that myself--

Whenever I do ruffles or rose swirls on the outside of a cake I use regular buttercream (mine has all butter and icing sugar with a bit of milk). Where I live it's often very, very hot and it's my worst nightmare to have buttercream ruffles sliding off the side of a cake. Regular BC is much more sturdy and is more stable. So it's my choice for that kind of cake.