You can always do a crumb coat first or try freezing the cake before you ice it. Make sure you BC icing is thin enough. I learned to place alot of icing on the top and with a gentle rocking motion work out towards the sides. With some practice I learned to ice a cake without a crum coat.
when icing a cake you first do a crumb coat. I use a pastry brush to brush off some of the crumbs then I do a crumb coat
Crumb coat is: Take some frosting, in a bag or spatula ice the sides and tops, it will look awful becuase you will see some crumbs and it is not a heavy layer of frosting. Now let it sit for about 10 minutes then you can apply your final coat of frosting. This will help prevent crumbs on you cake.
Welcome to the board
Good luck and practice, practice.
Leana
Welcome Connie!
I have used a couple different techniques to keep the crumbs out of my cakes. One way is to get the Wilton icing tip & bag. It is a very large flat tip with a smooth side and teeth on the other (it looks like a giant basketweave tip) and they have a large (18" I think) bag that you can get to use with it. You cut the bag to fit the tip (no coupler) and you ice your cake with it and then smooth out the icing with a spatula. That way there is already icing on the whole cake and no way to touch the cake to get crumbs.
The other way that I use the most is to do a crumb coat. What you do is ice the cake with a thin layer of your buttercream intentionally get crumbs in it. Let the icing sit and crust (if it is a crusting buttercream) or put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes until it is not soft to the touch. This thin layer seals in the crumbs and then you can go ahead and put on a final coat of icing.
Hope this helps you,
Heather
Another thing that helps is to try to avoid lifting your spatula as you crumb coat, which pulls crumbs up. Instead, keep a reasonable pressure and just keep working as much surface of the cake as you can with the icing you've applied with as few "lifts" as possible. You don't want to use much icing with the crumb coat, just enough to barely cover the cake to "glue down" the crumbs. I hope this makes sense. I also use the big icing tip to put the main icing on the cake as a previous poster suggested. I love that thing! I probably don't need to crumb coat since I use the icing tip, but I like to just to be double sure I won't have any crumbs (and I never do).
Julie 
I'm a newbie to decorating and have never used the crumb coat yet BUT I have to say that so far not touching the cake (only touching the icing) with my spatula has worked so far.
Good luck!
I ALWAYS chill my cakes before frosting - it seems to work the best for me. 
I sometimes crumb coat my cakes with strained boil jam, just because I think the whole buttercream thing gets a little too much sometimes 
!
As stated above - when you apply the icing to the cake with your spatula - you rock the spatula back and forth spreading the icing - the trick to no crumbs is when you lift the spatula - make sure your spatula is in the "pulling back" position when applying the icing. What I mean is don't pull the spatula away from the cake when the spatula is near the end of the iced area (where the icing stops and the bare cake is) pull the spatula back into the iced area and THEN lift it off. I never crumb coat if icing with BC - this technique works for me. Hope I was able to explain clearly. 
leana,
I would definately appreciate the pictres of your blues clues cake. Thank you all so much for all the GREAT advice and tips, I have rally enjoyed CakeCentral.com, y'all are so very sweet and helpfull. again thank you!
my email is [email protected]
this link will take you to a site that will provide a visual of how to ice your cake using the above mentioned piping bag with the big tip. hope this helps!
http://www.wilton.com/cake/cakeprep/icing/index.cfm
Correct!
as you smooth your cake once all the icing is on, you will be taking off icing with each smoothing stroke. you can get it as thin as you like!
i used the tip/piping method in the beginning, and as i felt more comfortable and got more practice, i moved on to other techniques for icing a cake, and still learning more from this website! you will do the same. you will find what works best for you'll become an expert! happy icing.....
chisl 
Leana,
Thanks for the email on the Blues clues, that was very very helpful, I love being able to look at pictures verses words, it makes things a lot clearer. I actually even printed it out and brougth it with me to work today to look over and read.
I think I will go and buy an icing tip this weekend and give that a try and also I will try the crumb coating method and just see which one will work best for me.
Hi Cbowen,
Just wanted to welcome you to CC.
Crumb coating.
I'm a newbie, too. I just wanted to get in on this crumb coating conversation. I've been having the same trouble that Cbowen is having.... Leana, I'd love to have the pictures of your blues clues cake with a crumb coat and then the good coat on top. My e-mail is [email protected]. Thanks so much!!
I was just thinking, I believe I am going to start making my sheet cakes and layer cakes in advance and freezing them, I beleive it will help my crumb in the icing problem and also i heard it will help make your cakes more moist. Does anybody have an opinion on this?
I try to freeze all my cakes because they are moistier when thrawed. Just remember to leave wrapped in the foil until the condensation has disappeared. Also, I like to put them on cooling racks to thraw.
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