Hi all,
Desperate Jane is my name!!! I ready to chuck buttercream out the door once and for all. I just cannot get a smooth enough. I'm sure there's something wrong with my mixing technique. And WHOW do I get mine to look like Boween's (Connie's). Her buttercream cakes looks like they covered with fondant. I would appreciate your advise.
Thanks
I learned that practice makes PERFECT! Have you tried the VIVA method? It really truly does work. Make sure you crumb coat, place in fridge for at least 15 minutes and then coat and do VIVA method. The how to... is on this site. Check it out! Just practice and some patience... 
So I am confused. You need help yet your cakes look similar to connie's? Perhaps you are mixing it at too high of a speed which will create many air bubbles and make it difficult to get the cake smooth. Always mix on low to keep your bc nice and smooth by reducing the amount of air bubbles. Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.
Not sure what recipe you are using but the consistency of the buttercream is also important. too stiff and you won't be able to spread and too soft will also give you problems.
Have you tried the foam roller method? I only use that method and my cakes come out really smooth.
I used to use Crisco and things went fine until they changed it then air bubbles galore for me. See my photos and you can tell the oval sheet with green and burgandy the air pockets as opposed to all the others on there with the old Crisco.
Needless to say I went to high ratio brand I use is Sweetex , I don't think brand matters as long as it's high ratio. Here's the recipe I use. I beat it to death no air bubbles and it smooths fine with a roller or a viva towel or parchment paper. Good luck, This makes a double batch to fill a 5 1/2 quart mixer.
4 cups shortening, I whip that up with 2tbl clear vanilla, and 1/2 tsp butter flavoring. I slowly start adding 4lbs Confectioners Sugar I use about a cup of milk believe it or not I like a smooth soft icing. After I have about a half of cup in I take out what I'm going to need to do flowers and such. Play around with what works for you , start slow then add more.
If I want an added flavor instead of the milk I use a flavored coffee creamer. This crust fine after about 20 min then smooth. HTH
If you want a real butter flavor add 1/2 shortening 1/2 butter
I also wanted to add that on this site somewhere JanH can help here I'm sure , 
There is a recipe for the new Crisco that adds Dream Whip I believe to put some of the trans fat back in IF you can't get the high ratio stuff.
Have you tried the Melvira method for smoothing your cakes? There is a tutorial for it here at cc and IMO it is the only way to go about getting a perfect fondant smooth finish on buttercream. Here is the link;
http://cakecentral.com/article83-Quick--Easy-Smooth-Icing-Using-a-Roller-Melvira-Method.html
There are a few ways people get their butter cream smooth. One is the Viva method:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article10-How-To-Create-Faux-Fondant-The-Paper-Towel-Method----Viva.html
One is the Melvira method:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-49423-0.html
Other people use things like paper to smooth it. I read one lady who used business cards and those fake credit cards you get in the mail. Many of these methids require a crusting type of frosting because you have to physically smooth it after a crust forms.
Also, make sure your frosting is thin enough. If it is too thick, you will have a hard time.
I mix my shortening and butter until it looks like pudding. It is very smooth and creamy, then I am carul to just mix in the ps until it is mixed and smooth. It is easy to over mix it at this stage. If you mix too much air into the frosting, it will be difficult to get it to smooth out. Hope this info has helped! Let me know if you need more help, or PM some of the people who you have seen and like their smoothness. Good luck!
There is a thread somewhere started by sugarshack that is called "my buttercream tips"(I think that is the name). Anyway, her method involves filling the bowl of your mixer to the brim - try it... you get the smoothest buttercream you've ever seen! It is vertually air bubble free! Then she smoothes with a spatula, then viva, then computer paper. The results are super!
Here is the link to her thread:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=19948&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0
I don't know if it's just my imagination or what, but I truly believe my buttercream is easier to spread now that it is mixed in a KA mixer. I used to have a 4 qt Sunbeam Mixmaster, and althought I really liked it, it just didn't have the power to smooth icing the way my KA does. My BC is mixed really well in half the time and at a lower speed, and it's creamy and smooth. My cakes don't now require the work to smooth the icing the way they used to, and I use the Viva method.
I forgot to say that Sharon (sugarshack) also says she mixes hot liquid with her shortening before adding the powdered sugar. This makes the shortening cream much easier and the powdered sugar incorporates more easily as well. Combined with using a full bowl up to the springs of the mixing paddle, this makes a super smooth, creamy frosting!
Here's the thread regarding adding Dream Whip: http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-491583-0-days0-orderasc-.html
I am no expert, but the other day I was going to try the paper towel method, but had parchment paper laying there, so I used that and a fondant smoother instead. It worked pretty well! I just lay the parchment on the cake and smoothed (with pretty firm pressure) I do think that I had overmixed my frosting; but other than that it was the smoothest I had ever gotten frosting.
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