I am wondering if some of you who have put the big sugar crystals on the sides of buttercream cakes can help me.  I did this for my daughter's wedding cake and it was just ok.  I'm wondering if someone has a trick they use.  By the time you get the cake smooth- with the Viva method, then when you try to press the sugar onto the sides, of course it isn't so smooth anymore and the sugar doesn't stick so well either.  I'm starting to think that all those cakes I see that are so perfectly covered aren't real!

They're not real! Can we all say it... "pinterest is fake, pinterest is fake"...

 But you don't have to smooth out those cakes 100% perfectly anyway, if they're a little on the rough side the sugar is easier to stick on.

Thank-you. :)  Maybe won't try and get that layer quite so smooth.

I've done dozens of that style cakes.  If you're using the Viva method that tells me you're using a crusting bc.  That's where you're going wrong.  Either switch to a non crusting bc  or get the sugar crystals on the cake before your bc starts to crust.  I can absolutely cover a four tier in under 20 minutes.  Easiest cake decor ever.

I've done dozens of that style cakes.  If you're using the Viva method that tells me you're using a crusting bc.  That's where you're going wrong.  Either switch to a non crusting bc  or get the sugar crystals on the cake before your bc starts to crust.  I can absolutely cover a four tier in under 20 minutes.  Easiest cake decor ever.

I've done dozens of that style cakes.  If you're using the Viva method that tells me you're using a crusting bc.  That's where you're going wrong.  Either switch to a non crusting bc  or get the sugar crystals on the cake before your bc starts to crust.  I can absolutely cover a four tier in under 20 minutes.  Easiest cake decor ever.

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Hahaha thought it was a stutter.

Didn't someone once post they sprayed wax paper with "Pam" , put the sugar on that, and then used that "wallpaper" to stick to the cake? Anyone remember that one?