Buttercream Pro's - Would Love Some Advice!
Decorating By Makeitmemorable Updated 20 Nov 2009 , 5:14am by Makeitmemorable
I have been asked to make a pumpkin cake for a 21st however the girl would like it covered in butter cream...... I have made numerous cakes but I am a fondant girl and have never covered a cake in buttercream.
I have no problems making it, I just want to know how you get is so smooth?? Is there something you add to the buttercream or just a special tool??
Look forward to hearing from all you great CC'ers.
Thanks Kim
are you doing a pumpkin as in the shape of a pumpkin??? If it's rounded like an actual pumpkin I find the easiest thing to do is to use the viva paper towels and lay it over your well crusted icing and smooth that way. If it's a regular round/square/sheet cake DEFINITELY get yourself a paint roller and do the melvira method
http://cakecentral.com/articles/71/how-to-create-faux-fondant-the-paper-smoothing-towel-method-viva
http://cakecentral.com/articles/126/quick-easy-smooth-icing-using-a-roller-melvira-method
since were on the subject...the Melvira method states that you should get a "high density" foam roller...when I went to the store, none of the packages said high density...so which one do I get? you could feel the difference in some of the rollers...some feel more firm...would that be the one?
sorry, didn't mean to steal your thread OP. 
I was going to suggest the Melvira method too. I am definitely not a pro but it's so easy to smooth a cake with the Melvira method that my husband can do it!
SandieOh, when I bought the roller, the one on the handle didn't say high density but the pack of refill rollers did. They were the same though.
The last picture in my cake photos on here is a pumpkin cake I did last week. I used 2 bundt cakes and iced in buttercream. I got the icing as smooth as I could and then put it in the fridge for the icing to crust. I used viva paper towels to smooth out the icing. I also put the ridges in using the paper towel...I ran my finger down across the papertowel where I wanted the ridges.
It's kind of a combination of things. Part is applying the BC heavy then gradually removing bit by bit till it is fairly smooth. Then let crust and use viva and melvira like those above mentioned. Check out youtube with serious cakes and tonedna. Watching those videos really made all the difference for me. A number of little steps put together to make it really smooth.
Thank you for the links! I've thought about doing both methods, but could not picture myself "painting" a cake!
Thank you, 
thank you, thank you to everyone .......... you guys are the best!
I thought there must have been some techniques.
I just love CC and all the great help you guys provide!!!
Thanks again, have a great day - we will be cooking here in Sydney with the temps expected to reach 41 degrees! 
Thanks for your help everyone,
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1521009.html
Here is the end result. I think I will stick to fondant ! LOL 
Holy crap! That was BC? Had I seen the pic and not known the story, I would have SWORN it was fondant! (And I'm a 30-year BC gal!)
You did a great job!! super great job! I would have had no idea where to start doing a cake like that in BC.
Those who know me, know that I don't say it if I dont' believe it. It's a fabulous looking cake. Congrats!
WOW. And to think, you were concerned about using buttercream.
Holy crap! That was BC? Had I seen the pic and not known the story, I would have SWORN it was fondant! (And I'm a 30-year BC gal!)
You did a great job!! super great job! I would have had no idea where to start doing a cake like that in BC.
Those who know me, know that I don't say it if I dont' believe it. It's a fabulous looking cake. Congrats!
OMG! Thank you, thank you , thank you...... you are like the queen of this website 
and I feel honoured that you have commented on my cake. I don't think I will do BC again, I really prefer fondant but this was a good challenge.
Thanks everyone else for your kind comments 
- I really appreciate it. I hope my customer likes it as much as you guys !!
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