I recently have switched to SMBC and I love it. The texture and taste is sooo good!! And it is much easier to smooth...just get a hot bench scraper and voila!!! I made a 2 tier cake today and used sugarshacks BC and techniques and it took me much longer to frost and smooth than with the SMBC. I too use the recipe that Jaime referred to...it is the best!!
Yesssss! Another convert! One Crisco user at a time, slowly but surely!
YAY!! It tastes like whipped cream...yummy!! I made strawberry smbc to fill in my white cakes and I could eat it with a spoon lol!! I only used shortening BC because they wanted that frosting, or else it would have been SMBC all the way!!
Ack! Don't put a paper towel on meringue icing! It's will pull fibers off...probably. Ick.
So, if you are familiar with Sugarshack method, you can do most of that, except the paper towels and computer paper. The hot bench scraper is the best part. Smooth as glass! And I do this immediately after icing.
I tried using a hot icing spatula and it changed the color in my icing, has this happened to you? The heat kind of melts the IMBC ..at least for me...What do you suggest. Also do you use the IMBC for borderd and piping, I usually do the ABC for that.
Ack! Don't put a paper towel on meringue icing! It's will pull fibers off...probably. Ick.
So, if you are familiar with Sugarshack method, you can do most of that, except the paper towels and computer paper. The hot bench scraper is the best part. Smooth as glass! And I do this immediately after icing.
I tried using a hot icing spatula and it changed the color in my icing, has this happened to you? The heat kind of melts the IMBC ..at least for me...What do you suggest. Also do you use the IMBC for borderd and piping, I usually do the ABC for that.
you know, i have the *same* problem with my colored smbc. i can get the shades pretty dark but when i go to smooth them, the colors turn streaky. i posted a question but no one responded, LOL! the only thing i can think of is *not* to used a hot spatula??
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-666158-.html
I mayself am not a fan of boiled icings or buttercream with shortenings . I am a butter freak ,so butter all the way baby!
Here is my two cents....
Use a buttercream formula that is all or mostly butter.
my recipe : 1lb unsalted butter / 24oz powdered sugar . if its too stiff thin with warm simple syrup. Smooth old school style......get a tall container fill with scallding hot water and get a dry terry cloth towel. Dip your spatula ....oh and be sure you use a sturdy straight not a long and flexible decorator spatula . Then dip for s few seconds , dry with towel completely and slowly smooth the sides . Keep your angel at about 20 degrees so you dont scrape to much icing off as you sweep . Keep your motion steady and complete the sweep . Once you have enough practice one or two sweeps will make your cake very smooth and flawless. Because your formula is mostly butter , butter has a low melting point and the hot dry spatula will smooth any impercections out. Thats always been my technique and it always works.
Chef Cindy
SMB is a favorit on mine aswell ,especially with melted white chocolate added as a flavoring . Using for lots of my wedding cakes ,however It has its draw backs. Can only take simple piping work no heavy piping or it will melt off . I live it Texas and it can be pretty humid and it is disastrous using SMB.
Cindy
I am living in South Florida and during the summer months I substitute 6 oz high ratio shortening with 6 oz of my butter and that takes care of the humidity effect of my SMBC. I love it and only use the powdered sugar recipe if someone does not like the "fluffy stuff" as my niece and nephews calls it. Many times I don't even need to use the hot spatula.
The Martha Stewart's, Toba Garrett's and one receipe I found here I use. However, I use the egg whites in the box and it gives me the same results like using regular egg whites, plus it saves a few minutes in time because I just warm the egg whites and sugar for about 3 minutes.
To get vibrant colours, I use the chocolate/candy colours instead of the regular gel or paste colours, however, most times I do not colour it because it's under the fondant.
I can't say enough about the SMBC. Every one of my friends I introduce to SMBC, thinks twice about using the ABC.
A big shout out to SMBC!!!
I'm going to have to try SMBC because I tried IMBC (3 cakes) and didn't like it very much, I feel like I am eating honey butter on a slice of cake...yuck.., never liked honey butter... I might be crazy but I do like ABC a lot but I am open to all different types of flavors. I love REAL whipped cream also, if only it would pipe well. I guess I'm a whipped cream snob..lol..Another issue for me is refridgeration space. Only have one small fridge and a cake just cake take up "that" much space for very long. Oh and you are right if it's cold it's disgusting!!! I think my sister will love SMBC, she doesn't like sweet icing but I happen to like sweet icing. Hey to me icing SHOULD be sweet 
. I was the one who always asked for the corner piece or the rose on a BD cake.
Edited to add: I actually have bowl of IMBC in the fridge right now. It's been there 2 weeks since I decided I don't like it.
What do you use as an icing dam when you use IMBC or SMBC?
The same thing.
Forgive me for being dense (I've never used meringue bc before). How do you keep it from squishing out and creating a bulge between layers?
What do you use as an icing dam when you use IMBC or SMBC?
The same thing.
Forgive me for being dense (I've never used meringue bc before). How do you keep it from squishing out and creating a bulge between layers?
You need to try it, and you'll see that it doesn't. Not being a smart ass, but you say you have never used it, so therefore you don't have experience with it, and therefore cannot possibly know that it's going to squish, right? 
So, no it doesn't squish. The most that ever happens to me, is it bulges out a bit while it's settling. Perfectly normal, and you WANT it to do that now rather than before. I am NOT mixing up some different BC for a dam, ain't happening. Before I go to ice it, I smooth around the cakes midsection with my offset spatula, and I'm good to go. Good luck, it works!
I just plain don't color my SMBC. If I ever do, I'll get the cocoa butter colors.
Me too. I keep the base color white because I have to smooth that frosting with a hot spatula/scraper. I also prefer white cakes simply for aesthetics and because I don't like the artificial look of colored frosting.
Color comes in through the accents and decorations. They can take vivid colors, even Americolor gels. I color them a day before using because it seems to me colors develop slower with IMBC/SMBC.
Like Jamie, I am also an advocate of meringue buttercreams. The taste and ingredients of IMBC and SMBC are basically the same it's just the methods of making it are different. I used to make SMBC more then I switch to IMBC but can't really remember why I did the switch. Just love the taste of it. And smoothing is such a breeze. I use a spackle tool to smooth the sides. I made a tutorial using this technique here
http://www.make-fabulous-cakes.com/icing-a-cake.html. It shows how to fill and frost the cake. Hope this helps!
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