OK. so I have seen a lot of posts on here referring to the Viva method. I have gathered that you use a Viva paper towel to smooth out the butter cream. I have searched on here looking for a "how to" but there are just so many posts that I can't find what I am looking for. Any one care to share details? Do you use a crusting BC? Should it be crusted already when you use the paper towel? Should the paper towel be wet or dry? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

I frost my cake with a crusting buttercream. Then I wait until I can touch the cake with my finger and nothing comes off the cake. Next take your paper towel plain side down and lay on top of cake. Then I take my fondant smoother and gently press on top of the paper towel to smooth out my buttercream. I repeat that step on the sides of the cake as well. This method works really well for me.

if you go to the articles tab and type in Viva in the search you'll get some good articles that come up.

This is a direct link to the Viva smoothing method. But my personal favorite is the Melvira method (which uses a foam roller)
http://cakecentral.com/articles/71/how-to-create-faux-fondant-the-paper-smoothing-towel-method-viva

www.designmeacake.com website has a video tutorial on how to use the viva method to smoothen your cake.

Yes, it must be a crusting bc. and it is a dry papertowel

when your bc crusts over. lay the viva towel over your icing, and with your hand rub the papertowel to smoothen out your cake.

you can also use a fondant smoother instead of your hand to smoothen your cake.

there is a video called perfecting the art of buttercream by Sharon Zambito and she goes into complete detail on how to use the viva paper towel as well as other methods to get a smooth cake ! HTH

I just learned this technique recently after watching a you tube video. This is the most awesome technique. After wanting to throw my cakes out the window because I could not seem to get my icing perfectly smooth, I learned this "secret"

Thank you all so much for your help. Once again it proves that this site it full of loving people who all want to see each other succeed!!