Hi there!
I could use some help (I'm a newbie).
I baked a cake, leveled it, crumb coated it, and iced it.
That's where the trouble began. My cake looked level before I iced it & now I can't get it level with the icing.
I read a tip about using a covered cake board (covered with contact paper) and pressing it on the cake it achieve a level cake.
I'm nervous that my icing will stick to it though.
Any tips you wouldn't mind sharing?
Thanks!
I use a torpedo level from Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100081915
and just adjust the icing on those spots that stick out with a spatula or whatever method you use to smooth.
You could also try putting your cake in the freezer for a little bit until the icing freezes slightly. Then it is easier to remove frosting in thinner layers. Also your frosting will be stiff enough to place a level on it without it making to much of a mark. Hope that helps.
If your cake is level and you put icing on it in the same thickness everywhere, your iced cake should be level. When you turn your cake out of the pan, turn it over again (to be right-side up) and then used a cake leveler to cut off the top of the cake. Levelers are like giant hacksaws make for cakes.
Then freeze your cake before icing. Ice the cake while frozen. It is much easier to get the icing the same thickness over the top when you are not fighting the cake comressing and moving around. Give it a try. You'll never ice a fresh cake again. No need to crub-coat either!
kackie3, is it really okay to frost a frozen cake? It seems I have read both sides to this. I guess the reason for not frosting a frozen cake would be for when the cake defrosts, the condensation would build up and make your icing sweat. Is this true, or not? Obviously, since you do it this way, it must prove to not be a problem. Are there others out there who do this with no problem?
I would love to know about this, because I have the same problem in getting an even layer of icing on my cakes on the top, which make them look uneven. If this is a good way to help perfect this, I would love to try it.
It's ok to ice a frozen cake just remember though that you should at least let it soften a little bit bout 10 minutes so it isn't ROCK hard. If you do frost it while it's rock hard, I've have cakes that I had to frost when they were frozen (bigstore bakery thing) and after the cake had thawed completely the frosting had a crack in it. Not the cake, just the frosting from the expansion that happens when the cakes thaws. So let it sit out while you prepare your board or whatever and that should be more than enough time to let the outside expand enough so that the frosting doesn't crack.
Another tip hun, I bought one of those paint guard things (metal with plastic handle) and use that to run it across the entire top of my cake (a 12" mud knife would work just as well) If there's any divots or it's uneven, fill in the divots or scrape off the extra. Works for me.
Another little trick is to get down to eye level with the top of the cake and that makes it easier to see if there are low spots or high spots on the cake itself.
Well, I was going to post the same response as chaptlps.. haha It happened to me too, when I worked at a warehouse store with a bakery (not dropping names, as I don't know what's appropriate or isn't when talking about such things).
All our cakes came in frozen, and we were in a major rush to get our display case filled so we could start on our orders, so we got the bright idea we'd just ice the cakes frozen and put them out there, since the night shift didn't bother to stock the fridge and let them thaw over night, like we were supposed to.
Well, needless to say, a few cakes ended up with cracks in the icing, as they thawed.
Still, as chaptlps said, as long as it isn't rock hard, it should be ok. Not all of them had cracks, so I'm guessing the ones that did crack were the first ones done, that were still frozen solid.
Hopes this helps.
Holly
hrm.. just realized, this has absolutely nothing to do with leveling a cake. I had forgotten what the thread was about by the time I got to typing a response. Sorry I wasn't much help. I'm an odd bird sometimes. 
I have been icing my cakes frozen for almost 30 years. Can't say I've never had one sweat, but most don't. I think it has to do with letting it cool completely before freezing. I've never had a problem with the icing cracking as they thaw. (And I do ice them straight out of the freezer.) One thing that happens occassionally is that a bubble will form under the icing, causing it to rise up and make the icing bulge. When you prick the icing with a straight pin, it goes right back down. But that is rare also.
I liked the idea of the 12" straight edge. Think I'll try that myself!
Great thread! For those of you who press down on a cake straight out of the oven, doesn't that affect the texture. I mean, is it less light and airy and denser?
Thanks!!
Brittany
I've always just added more cake batter to the pan, so it bakes up higher than the pan itself, then use the top of the pan as a guide and cut straight across with a serrated knife.
However, next time I do believe I'm going to try the dental floss.
Do be sure not to add too much batter, though.. One of my pans overflowed once, and well, it wasn't pretty..
I know now to line the pan with parchment that sticks up a bit higher than the pan, so the cake doesn't overflow. I haven't tried that yet either, but I'm definitely going to. 
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