First, you need to mix the wet ingredients (shortening, butter, milk, vanilla and almond extracttogether. Depending on the weather, you can decide to add the water or not. And if you are in a very humid or hot atmosphere, you may not have any need for it. Remember, we are trying to create a very hard buttercream.

In another bowl, mix the salt, powdered sugar and meringue powder together.

Incorporate the dry ingredients one after the other. And while doing that, shift and stir them, so as to avoid any lumps.

Beat it with an intense force until it is stiff, and keep it under a damp cloth until you are ready to use it.

This will make enough to cover an 11 by 14 inches cake with a thick layer in the center. If you feel it is too much, you can always divide it or store the remainder in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Before you use it, whip it again to regain a pipable texture.

Remember, you can always change up the extracts to get a different flavor. Another way is by adding food coloring to change the design you make on top. And this should be done in the final stage, once you are whipping it all together. We recommend gel food coloring.