Extra Special Buttercream Icing

Cream butter and shortening until fluffy.
Add sugar, meringue powder, about half of the cream, and continue creaming until well blended.
Add salt, flavorings and enough whipping cream to make the consistency you need.
Beat at medium speed until icing is fluffy.
You may substitute all shortening for the butter, which will give a pure white icing, but the flavor will not be quite as good.
I used butter and real vanilla and the icing turned out a very pale ivory, which I personally prefer to a stark-white icing.
The meringue powder gives the icing a light crust, but it remains soft underneath.