Looks beautiful, Susan! I mastered making Italian butter cream this summer, when I made about 8 batches for a special project. I love the buttery, not-too-sweet, and very creamy (not grainy) qualities. It was not very forgiving when decorating, though. If the cake is too cold, it seizes up (I guess because the butter hardens). Conversely, if you hold the piping bag too long, it gets very melty, I guess, again, from the butter. How does the Swiss butter cream compare for ease of icing and piping? I find the Swiss to be a little less forgiving, actually, than the Italian. It doesn't hold up quite as well in warm temperatures; I think the boiling sugar syrup of Italian sets the meringue a little better. Adding some shortening to either at the end (say, 1/2 cup, in addition to the butter) can help to keep it a little more stable. Susan

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