This may be a stupid question, but I am having a terrible time icing my cakes. I keep getting a lot of crumbs in the icing when I try to apply it. The cake is cooled, so I'm not sure what the problem is. Any tips or advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Sometimes that happens to me. Someone told me once that I might be adding too much liquid to my cakes. I "crumb coat" my cakes with a thin layer of icing, let that harden, and then ice it. The crumb coat catches the crumbs

If you refrigerate your cakes for a few hours before icing, it will help. I also have used a block of cream cheese in some of my cakes for sculpting and they crumb a lot less.

Hi and welcome to CC!

First, are you using a "crusting" butter cream? After you apply the crumb coat do you allow the cake to sit allowing time for the butter cream to crust before applying the final coat of icing?

What is the consistency of your icing? If it's too thick, that could be one reason why you're getting crumbs "pulled" into it.

Try thinning it a bit especially for the crumb coat and apply more then you'll need at first, taking it off as you go around the cake.

You could try using an icing tip to apply your icing, many people have success with this method.

Do a search for Youtube "icing a butter cream cake" videos, there are some great free ones there to watch. Sometimes "seeing" instead of "reading" how to do something is more effective.

HTH

Make sure to thin a bit for your crumbcoat but not a lotIf you thin it too much it will make the second coat very difficult to add as the icing will be slippery. But is best to use the crumbcoat method.
Edna

Thanks for the welcome and all the replies! I will keep all your advice in mind for next time! Much appreciated!