Hello all,
I am very new to cake decorating, and just tried using the Viva paper towels to smooth my BC. In some spots, the BC was sticking to the paper towels. Did I not wait long enough to do it? I put a little flour on the Viva and that seemed to help a little, but then I could see the flour on my cake! 
I used the Wilton BC recipe....is that supposed to crust??
Thanks!!
First of all, HI and welcome to CC!
I've never used the Wilton buttercream recipe, but I do think it's a crusting buttercream. I use the recipe from this site (the one that says "Viva papertowel method" next to the name) and I DO know that it crusts really well.
You have to wait for the icing to crust fully before you start to smooth it out or it will stick to the towel, so it sounds to me like that may have been the issue. Some recipes I've seen say that you have to let the cake sit for at least 15 minutes before smoothing the icing, but I've ALWAYS had to wait longer for mine to be ready. You can either just let it sit longer, or pop it into the fridge for a little while, which speeds up the crusting process.
Hope that helps a little. 
The Wilton icing will definately crust, sometimes I have to wait about 30 minutes before I smooth the icing.
I use an all shortening recipe from Colette Peters. I also add in butter flavoring so that it tastes like I did use some real butter. I only have to wait maybe 5 minutes (usually not even that long) before I can use the Viva. I also use the plastic fondant smoother instead of my hand, and that seems to help.
That's a good recipe for crusting buttercream. but you have to catch it at the right time to smooth it. If you do it too soon, the paper towel will stick. if you wait too long, it will have dried and won't smooth out. If it seems like it just never gets firm/dry enough to smooth, you might have a little too much milk in the recipe. I'm sure you'll figure it out!!!
For most people this goes without saying, however I am one of those that needed to be told this - you move your hand (or fondant smoother) around, not the paper towel. I was buffing the cake with the Viva and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. Duhhhhh.
thanks so much for the input. I think maybe I did not wait long enough. Maybe next time I'll try the recipe here next to the Viva method. I think I only waited 15 minutes and I should have waited longer.
Yes, definetely wait a bit longer. Sometimes I wait 30 minutes just to be sure, especially if I'm also planning to use an imprinter.
And the hotter and more humid it is, the longer you need to wait.
[quote="rezzycakes"]
And the hotter and more humid it is, the longer you need to wait.
You know, somehow I wonder how I've never managed to put two and two together and realize this is why I have to wait so long.. 
Duh Julie.
I live in Canada, and we don't have Viva towels. Is there an alternative paper towel that's just as good? 
Pascal I've heard of people using computer paper or parchment paper to do this instead of using the paper towel, and from what they've said it works pretty well.
I live in Canada, and we don't have Viva towels. Is there an alternative paper towel that's just as good?
I live in Ontario, Canada and use parchment paper if I want a smooth finish. Otherwise I just use the paper towel with a pattern. Bounty has a nice swirl patter which transfers to the cake. I've had many people ask me how I did the swirl.
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