You know who you are (boween, getfrosted , etc.)...what is the secret to perfectly smooth buttercream. Sure, there is the Viva method, hot spatula, etc. but i see some cakes that are just amazingly straight, even, with perfect edges that are simply BEAUTIFUL! What is the trick to the PERFECTLY iced cake??? How do you get every single cake to be uniform and lovely?

HELP ME....PLEASE! I feel so incompetent

What a great question. I wonder this everytime a frost a cake. I have tried the viva method, hot spatula, and melvira method, but I still can't get it right. Please share your knowledge with us

Tell me tell me tell me!!!! I just need to know too. DH does not like the MMF (he says it's okay) but would WAY rather BC. Help

I need to know this too!

Really I think it is practice, practice, practice...and getting the BC on in a very even coating to begin with. The closest I can get is with the Melvira Method...and from there, much more practice is needed!!!

I don't know what the melvira method is but with me, using a straight edge is key to getting the sides even. Spatulas have that rounded end to them and how are you supposed to get a straight cake with a rounded spatula?

I alway smooth the top first and then do the sides. I use the straight side of a metal icing comb. Don't use plastic combs because they warp. I place it on the side of the cake at a little bit of an angle (towards the cake) and then try to go around the whole side of the cake. Then I can see if there are any gaps where I need to fill in with icing and then I go around again. It's hard to describe how I get all the way around the cake in one pass but I kinda reach around to the other side of the cake with the comb and also to grab the turntable with the other hand and then bring it around. There are usually then little places along the top edge where icing sticks up but you can just kinda cut them off with the spatula or comb, making sure you don't do too much at once. Scrape the icing off the comb often.

I also discovered that the upside-down icing method in the articles here works great! It's fool-proof...except it'd be kinda hard with some of the really big cakes.

Here is a link that may be helpful. I attended a Day Of Sharing last weekend where Sharon, aka sugarshack, demonstrated to us how to ice a cake. She describes her method in this post perfectly and to see her do it in person was just amazing! There are also many great tips in this thread. HTH!!

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-19948-sugarshack.html