This cake pic is all over Pinterest with the caption
"How to get buttercream frosting as smooth as fondant. Never would have thought of this, and it tastes so much better than fondant... "
It says it came from CakeCentral but I can't find it. Any ideas?

It's the Viva paper towel method:
http://cakecentral.com/tutorial/perfectly-smooth-buttercream-icing

Thanks, that was QUICK! I've used the Viva method but never got it this smooth. I'll have to try doing it exactly as the tutorial explains and maybe tweak my recipe a bit.

I've never had any luck with the viva paper towel method either. My buttercream always sticks to the paper towel, even if it's cold. And yes, that's using the standard recipe for crusting american buttercream. I gave up on it a while ago. Now I just use a scraper to smooth the edges. I saw a lady that used a blow torch to heat up her scraper to help smooth the buttercream. I think I may try that.

Here is the link, it is on CakeCentral:

http://cakecentral.com/tutorial/perfectly-smooth-buttercream-icing.

Hope that helps
Pam

Mine doesn't look like that when I do the Viva method either. I buy the paper with no print on it and you can see that I ran something over the cake. I stick to a bench scraper and water too.

I remember this original post. Use a tip 18 to ice the cake and then smooth then go over with Viva.

I use a high density foam roller to get my buttercream to look as smooth as fondant. You can find these in the painting section. They clean up well and don't leave little fuzzies on your cake.

I use viva exclusively. Here is an upclose of a cake - I have folks think it is fondant all the time! It's lots of fun to tell them NO....it is buttercream!

I use viva exclusively. Here is an upclose of a cake - I have folks think it is fondant all the time! It's lots of fun to tell them NO....it is buttercream!

If you're using the viva paper towels let the icing crust over at room temp, not cold. If you try to press the paper towel to it when it's cold it will be more likely to stick because it will warm up as you're working on it and the condensation will get into the towel and get it wet.

Once you do the paper towel you can also go over it with a sheet of parchment paper or typing paper to get it really smooth

Viva paper towel has truly changed my cake decorating! I used to agonize and go around and around trying to smooth my icing. I love it! My husband even remarked one day, "That looks so good, why ever do fondant again?"

....but I still do fondant sometimes

Sadly, I have to throw my hat in with those who haven't mastered the Viva paper towel method. Or any other method for that matter. I go over it and over it and I still have little flaws and dimples and bumps. Ugh! So frustrating! I'm beginning to like the idea of textured bc more and more!

Oh, and I've looked for high density paint rollers and I only find foam rollers that seem to me to be too coarse and porous to do the job. Maybe I need to go to a real paint store and not Wal-Mart!!

I didn't have any success with the roller method, so not everything works for everyone. If the paper towels don't work for you either, try a hot spatula that's heated with either boiling water or a torch.

Viva method works great if the icing is well crusted. I place mine in the fridge for about 5 minutes and then use the paper towels. Works like a charm!

I still recommend Perfecting the Art of Buttercream by Sharon Z. It's awesome and can get you that look if you follow all of her steps

When I'm lazy and skip a step or don't put enough buttercream on to start I still get dimples etc but if I follow the process completely I get a darn close almost fondant look. You can order her DVD from www.sugaredproductions.com

Her other DVDs are great too but Perfecting the Art of Buttercream is a must have.

Karukaru,
Where did you read the reviews? I didn't even know there were reviews. In my mind it's 100% worth it. It's a lot more than just Viva. It's how to prevent the middle bulge, how to get straight sides and a clean top edge plus perfectly smooth buttercream. I can't recommend it enough. I'm on my phone right now but if you look in my pics find the graduation cake. That's before the DVD, then find the blue and white christening cake. That's after. Talk abort a world of difference. It's also 100% step by step. She doesnt skip anything. If it was just Viva, I wouldn't need to watch it before every cake I do. I watch it on a higher speed but it's still so helpful. I hope you consider it. All of her DVDs are great but this one is the best.

SOOO much more than just Viva! I am still not a master, but I feel like I have gotten better and have more understanding of what cakes should be like! If you are not ready to splurge on it, go look at a library. And if they don't have it--suggest that they get it! I did that....and how it is always checked out at our library. So hard to get my hands on it--I ended up buying it myself anyway! Ha!

She does give a recipe and tells and shows you how to make it exactly right!

The viva towl methond worked very well for me! 1st time buttercream ever came out that smooth-I used the CBC recipe that is referenced in the tutorial.

My buttercream smoothing has taken off with leap and bounds since using the DVD on perfecting the art of buttercream by Sharon Zambito. So worth it. I hear she is having a sale soon, keep checking her website or sign-up for her mailing list. Used it on the latest cake in my gallery. You'll see the difference from my other cakes.