I am making a baby shower cake in a few days. I've made a practice cake that turned out well, but i'm not using fondant. I'm new at this, and I'm just not ready for fondant yet. Anyway, my question is..how do I make the frosting look smooth? I tried dipping my spatula in hot water, but it didn't seem to do the trick. Any suggestions?

Try the VIVA method. Use a crusting BC, wait until the cake crusts (usually 15 minutes) and put a VIVA (no print) papertowel on it. With a fondant smoother, go over the cake with it (sides and top).

There is also a Melvira method on here. I highly recommend using a VIVA papertowel so the foam roller is not in contact with the cake. Just not food-safe otherwise.

I use sugarshack's method of dipping my bench scraper in boiling water and wiping dry before touching the cake each time and it works beautifully. He BC DVD shows step by step how to smooth a cake and is worth it's weight in gold. When you're ready for fondant she also has a great DVD for that.

I think the best way is to use the cake icer tip, then smooth with a spatula. Once it crusts, you can just use a viva paper towel or the Melvira method.

If I'm in a hurry, and I usually am, I just omit the icer tip and slather it on with my spatula.

i have some of my tips here if u are interested:

(I no longer sift)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-19948-buttercream.html+tips