I am quite new at this and have only taken the 4 Wilton courses and am fast learning that Wilton is not exactly what the pros do. So I am desperately calling on all pros (self-proclaimed and otherwise).

WHy is it that the BC under my fondant ALWAYS makes my fondant lumpy and bumpy? I look at cakes on here and they are so sleek and smooth that it looks like you iced a BRICK!! I am sooo jealous!

I thought it would help to put BARELY any BC but then it just doesnt taste as good. And when I watch videos and tv shows they all have TONS of delicious BC under their FLAWLESS fondant.

What am I doing wrong? I have used store bought icing and the Wilton class BC. Is there special BC for this?

Just be sure your b'cream is lump free. No, they don't use TONS of b'cream Just a nice even coating.
Are you using a fondant smoother tool? I resisted getting them for a long time until I was given one and saw the difference it makes - totally different smoothness.
Are you kneading your fondant enough? Make sure it is smooth and not too thick or too thin.
Try SugarShack's b'cream. The recipe is on this site. and there are lots of threads discussing all fazes of using it.

Do you make your own fondant? Sometimes if you don't knead it enough it can be bumpy. Sometimes bumps can actually be air pockets....there's a lot of reasons fondant isn't smooth so it's hard to give you a pat answer. There are a lot of teaching resources other than Wilton out there that are very helpful. Try Sharon Zambito's DVD "Flawless Fondant". It's two discs that takes you from scratch to finish in covering your cakes and also includes ways to deal with flaws, covering different shapes, decorating cake boards....you name it. It is a nice reference material to have for review when you've mastered fondant techniques.

I looked at your photos and your fondant looks just fine.

Do you chill the cake after the buttercream is on? I used to think something bad would happen if I did that, but then I made a cake that had to be refrigerated and I realized how much easier it was to get the fondant on a cold firm cake than a warm wiggly one. I've been chilling the cakes before I put the fondant on ever since, and it works really well.

Also, a lot of people edit their photos a tiny bit...not take out any major flaws or anything, just make the picture look a little more polished. I do that to my pictures, because sometimes they come out a little grainy even with my new camera.

Here's an example for you, on one of your cakes. I just changed the saturation a little bit and took out some of the graininess that digital cameras add to pictures.

The better you can ice your cake, the better your fondant will look. Uneven icing will cause lumps and air bubbles in your fondant (believe me, I still do that ALL the time....I'm not so great at icing cakes some days, esp with the Wilton recipe....I do a bit better if I use a non crusting recipe.)

Also chill the cake nice and firm too, that helps.

Thanks everyone. Maybe I should be a bit more specific. THe fondant itself is smooth but it seems like teh BC underneath oozes and moves and creates ripples in the fondant. I do have the smoother and love it! Will try chilling my cake too.

And thanks Texas rose for the pic suggestion. I agree it looks 1000% better. Will have to learn how to start doing that stuff!!

Some fondants are definately better than others, hands down.

You need to find one you like and tastes great. There are certain tricks to applying fondant.

I'm happy to try and answer any questions you might have. PM me if you wish.

I think first and foremost is finding one that tastes good and performs well.

Jen

Do you use a nice stiff buttercream or very soft buttercream? I had the lumpy bumpy problem a long time before I realized I needed stiff buttercream (as stiff as you can use without tearing your cake to shreds) I still get the lumpy bumpy problems to this day when I make my buttercream too soft and am too lazy to fix it

I think you hit it on the head luvmysmoother! My icing is OFTEN very soft. I do leave it to crust but then it crushes and oozes around UNDER the fondant making everything look bumpy.

THANK YOU to everyone! I am very excited to try this this weekend. And next.. and the next

Now I just need to go read up for some great recipes!!!!!

THanks again

softness could be a problem, but not necessarily.. i use a non crusting buttercream most of the time. I make sure my cake is chilled HARD before i cover it, then I put it back in the cooler after I put the fondant on. the fondant gets hard like a shell, but it's not hard when it's served

But then do you have to keep your cake refrigerated until it's served? I often use SMBC and it seems as soon as it's left out of the fridge, I started getting those ridges and rings around my cakes. And when you use refrigeration, you have to deal with all that fondant sweating. Frustrating.

no, i don't leave it refrigerated until it's served.. I do leave it in until i take it to deliver.. i advise for the cake to be left out at least 2 hours prior to serving..