Cupcake Icing Decoration

whats the best cupcake frosting or icing?

We'll be making cupcakes for our uncles birthday and we want to put decorations on top using frosting or icing. any suggestions? we're in the Philippines and we have a tropical environment so we need recipes that wont melt in room temperature and should be stiff so it can be used for decorating.

Thank you

Buttercream Icing Recipe - Holds up in humidity better

Ingredients:
4 pounds powdered (confectioners') sugar
2 cups Crisco shortening
1/3 cup powdered milk mixed with enough water to make 1 cup
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon clear butter flavor
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon Crème Royale or crème bouquet, optional
1/2 cup corn starch
Viva paper towels*

* You want a paper towel that has no design imprinted for smoothing your icing The trick is to smooth it with Viva paper towels that when the icing is slightly crusted.

Into the mixer bowl, place the Crisco shortening and cream until fluffy.

Combine the water and the powdered milk in a small bowl; add the butter extract, almond extract, and crème royale or crème bouquet, and salt.

Add the powdered sugar mixture to the creamed shortening in the mixer bowl and mix. Add 1/2 cup cornstarch and beat well on low for about 15 minutes.

NOTE: This buttercream icing can be kept out of the refrigerator for around 2 weeks, I'd say. I usually use it so fast that I hardly ever get it in the refrigerator unless I am preparing large batches. It can also be frozen. The cornstarch helps humidity as well as helping to cut the sweetness. Play with it and use whatever flavorings you like.

This icing needs to be made ahead of time. As it sets up it gets firmer. When ready to use, just rewhip on low and you get a smooth, non-airy buttercream icing. I like this recipe better than Wilton’s buttercream because it tastes less sweet and uses half the amount of Crisco shortening.

Xanthe Milton teaches four different icing techniques for cupcakes