So I am new to buttercream, and I'm trying to like it - really! I was commissioned to make a half-sheet for a baby shower today, and last night I decided to try the upside down icing meathod (here: http://www.cakecentral.com/article6-Upside-Down-Icing-Technique-for-Perfectly-Smooth-Icing.html).

It DID NOT WORK AT ALL!!! I followed all of the directions to a tee, and when it came time to peel off the parchment paper, all of my icing peeled off with it! Imagine my horror!

So, I'm wondering what I did wrong. The bc recipe I used is one I've used before - 2 cups fat to 2 cups ps. It crusted just fine (I was able to salvage it using Viva and the foam roller meathod), but I just can't wrap my head around why it ALL peeled off the top.

Has this happened to anyone else? Do you have any suggestions for a beginner bc'er?

2 cups fat to 2 CUPS ps or 2 POUNDS ps? 2 cups of sugar in 2 cups of fat sounds like way, way too little sugar (and yuck - think about how much shortening you're shoveling in your face per forkful of cake).

If your icing did not stick to the cake, it needs to be thinned...and perhaps a look at different BC recipes is in order.