I am making a 3d razorback cake..like the ones that i have seen on this sight. I have it all iced in red bc... but i can't get it smooth! it had ridges and little bits of cake are coming off in the icing! AHH!

i don't know if i'm using "crusting" BC or not. it's from the wilton website. 1/2 c shortening, 1/2 c. butter, powered sugar and a little milk. Can i use the VIVA method on this icing?

please help! i am so worried!

Thanks so much in advance!

It sounds like your consistency is off. It should be thin consistency. It probably needed more liquid to begin with.
Yes, at this point if you can touch the icing and it does not come off on your finger try using a Viva towel.

Crumb coat would help with the pieces of cake in the icing. The thin layer glues them to the side of the cake after it sets. Then go over it with another round of icing. Be gentle though, 3-D cakes don't have the finished baked edge everywhere and the cake has already been tortured by the process used to create the shape needed

Crusting buttercream becomes rigid to the touch a few minutes after you put it on the cake. My recipe calls for Meringue powder and that seems to help the crusting part (as well as stiffness) but I have other icings that crust without it, it has to do with sugar/fat ratio.
If the icing does crust over you can use a piece of wax paper and a spatula to smooth it out, the paper towel works well, even a lightly dampened viva will work. if all else fails a wet spatula (icing spatula) can work, but be carefull with that, too much H2O is not a friend of cake and wet icing sticks to everything it touches. A healthy portion of icing should be on the cake before hitting it with a wet spatula.
Razorbacks are hairy pigs, they aren't so smooth anyway
Good Luck

Thank you both so much for your help! It turned out good.. i'm happy with it. it's only my 3rd cake. I used the damp VIVA paper towel on it and got it pretty smooth. Now looking at pictures, I see many ways it could be better, but hey..i'm a perfectionist.

Thanks again for your help!

here is a pic