I am pretty new to cake decorating and I am having a problem. When I begin putting my crumb coat (have only used buttercream) on my cake, the top edges of my cake turn into a crumbly mess. I have been using doctored box mixes and they usually taste great. It has been quite a pain, since for one I can't get the sharp edges I am hoping for and two, I am getting so many crumbs around the edges. I am trying really hard to keep the spatula on the cake and not to lift it. Sometimes the icing will kind of peel away right there at the edges. It doesn't usually happen anywhere else besides the very top edge. I can usually cover up the crumbs w/ my second coat of icing, but I am tending to have to ice more heavily than I want to...which I am sure you know doesn't look all that great when paper towel smoothing. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it?? 
Any advice would be really appreciated!!
Thanks,
Nanette
Definitely, thin SOME your icing. The crumb coat just needs to cover the outside and fill in any holes or gaps. Softer icing goes on easy. Also, try chilling the cake or freezing it. It can help keep the crumbs in place.
Once you have the crumb coat on, put the whole thing in the fridge to firm up. You final coat should be very easy to apply.
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