Just wondering what techniques you all use to smooth out your buttercream frosting?
I basically frost the cake and then go over it with a hot semi-wet spatula, but I know there are other techniques out there that might make the frosting as smooth as fondant.
Can anyone tell me?!
TIA
, and I had picked up a roller to try someday, so I used it. It was so easy and fast that I have never looked back.
i have never tried any other way than with a roller
one year we were in albuquerque visiting friends and we checked out some bakeries and visited with them and i tried to tell them about using a roller and they looked at me like i was stupid! some people do not like change i guess i think the trick to it is letting your bc crust up just enough and not letting it get too crusty b4 u roll it
I use wax paper and my fondant smoother. My cakes come out very nice and I am a Wilton Course 1 beginner. I have pics of my first cakes in my photo album.
However, I am going to try Melvira's method as soon as I can find the correct roller. The hardware store I went into was out of them so need to go to Home Depot to get one.
I had tried the viva method several times and it never worked for me. I've also tried the hot spatula thing... my hand is just not steady enough - I don't put the same amount of pressure all the time and my cakes never got smooth.
I used Melvira's method for the first time this past weekend and WOW(!!!) - it was amazing!! It was the smoothest cake I've ever done! It's the guitar cake in my photos.
I like the viva towel method the best, I feel like I have more control. the Melvira roller is great too, but I think I use too heavy a hand with the roller, seems to push the icing too much....but there again, I have used the roller only once. I'm an old dog..so teaching me new tricks ain't all that easy lol. I heat the spatula over an open flame to smooth as well.
I like the roller but only over parchment paper (the roller was not intended for food prep)....and I think just like using a fondant smoother it just glides better......but I am still working on how to make the icing square like perfectly level cakes, sharp corners etc....I have real problems with that.
Melvira's roller method...hands down. I can't believe how great this works. I did 2 sheets cakes this weekend for a wedding shower and yes, my buttercream had some pretty serious air bubble holes. I let the buttercream crust over a bit, rolled over it a little and no more air bubble holes, wrinkles or imperfections. What an idea...simply amazing.
Wanda
well let me tell you my story !!!!!!
i went to get me a roller last week and my kids beat me to it after i got home with it . my husband didnt know what it was for so he took it from the kids and put it in my kitchen ,come this saturday and i wanted to try my roller on a cake i had to do for a lady .i let my white bc crust and took the roller and WOW it was so smooth,BUT my 2 year old had rolled it i dont know where and i ended up with lots of little particles (the kind you can only see threw a ray of sunlight by the window ) they where red blue white and lots more . melviras method works great and after reading this thread i can try it with a parchment paper .plus i threw that cake and bakes a new one and smothed it out like i always do with a spritzer bottle of water and my spatula .just sharing with you......
When I originally posted the question, I guess I didn't have the "notify me when a reply is posted" and never checked the post. When I woke this morning and took a peak, WOW! I guess the "Melvira" method "takes the cake!" I am CONVERTING today!!!
Thanks to all who posted! The hot spatula and water method apparently is a thing of the past 
I can not wait to try this method. I have always used toe water and a spatual with the worst results. I would kill myself trying to make the cake look even a little smooth. Great topic for a post, especially us living in Albuquerque! 
We are a little out of the loop!! Or maybe it's just me!
This is the last cakes I iced and I did what my instructor said, used the big icer tip and rubbed with the spatula where the creases are than smooth out an excess with a bowl scraper! Love it here's my last two cakes I made using that method
Wow, thoes look amazing! You did a great job. Mine never come out that smooth and I never have to time to make mine look that good! You have a talent. So I bought the rollers and O MY WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! My fiance thought it was fondant! Okay so he didn't say fondant, that rolled stuff were his words!!
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