I'm a movie cake baker and want to make sure my cakes are a success! But I have some questions about buttercream frosting, any help is appreciated! Thanks

1. Should the consistency be different for crumb coating and decorating, or should it be the same?

2. Im afraid on beating the buttercream too much n it breaking, how do I know when it's ready?

3. For some reason I couldn't get my frosting really smith ( even after trying the viva and paper tricks), any pointers?

thanks do much

Are you using buttercream made with icing sugar?

what's a movie cake maker?

you definitely have to mix your icing for a length of time but what kind of icing is very important like mkc says

Sorry, i was typing on my phone and it auto corrected me!  I meant novice cake baker =)

So maybe the first time i made the icing it wasn't mixed enough?

yes that's very likely but you still haven't said what kind of frosting 

if it comes to a vote i'd say stay a movie cake maker there are many novices already and this would set you apart -

just being silly 

MKC and -k8memphis asked what kind of buttercream  you are making because that impacts what advice they would give you. Are you making a crusting or non-crusting buttercream ? Or Italian Meringue or Swiss Meringue buttercream?  Is there powdered sugar (icing sugar) or granulated sugar in your recipe? 

Got it!  Just a basic "american" buttercream:  Butter, shortening, vanilla, powered sugar.

and cream!

if you beat it at high speed it will get full of air bubbles which are annoying but you can get rid of by manually stirring the icing and mashing them out - adding a bit of water helps too -- also when you apply to the cake run your spatula both ways and that will deplete them too --

but if you just let it mix on slow for a long time you got it -

sorry about the boldened script -- still figuring out the new tablet -- don't know how to highlight anything and change to regular script

and as much as it's a pia I sift the sugar too always

I sift  the sugar too. 

Got it!  Do i have to worry about over beating it?  That's what I was worrying about before and I think I did not beat it enough.  On my mixer, should I use the whisk or paddle attachment?

Thanks for all the help!

1. Same consistency for crumb coating and final coat. 

2. I beat the buttercream for about 10 minutes on high! I think it's a secret a lot of homebakers don't know. With cream instead of milk, it will become very light.

3. Here's a good video on smoothing buttercream:

Love the video, thanks.

i watched the video n she said something interesting, that Crisco will create a crumbly frosting? I think that might have happened to mine. 

Does se anyone agree with that?

di you prefer to use all shortening( not Crisco) or part butter as well?