It seems that no matter what I try (towel method, hot water and spatula) my buttercream icing never comes out completely smooth. Is this because I only use butter and not shortening? Does anyone use only butter and have success with smooth icing?

Yes. I can't even get it completely smooth using half butter and half shortening.

i've never had any luck with it to be honest. i usually use all shortening with butter flavor. And also it is HOT AS THE DEVILS TOENAIL in georgia so i never have any luck with all butter.

I am also in Georgia and my icing that I use smooths wonderfully. I have my own recipe that I have posted on CC. Mine is a shortening based crust icing and I smooth my cakes with Viva paper towels. Feel free to check out my cakes and you can see what I am talking about. I am not a fan of fondant so all of my cakes are done in buttercream.

If you are interested in trying my recipe for the icing, it is called Geechigirl's Crisco-Based Crust Buttercream Icing. I use it for both vanilla and chocolate icings.

Queen isn't saying that because she's in Georgia she can't get her buttercream smooth. She was saying that when she used BUTTER she couldn't get it smooth.

The op ask if she couldn't get the viva method to work because she wasn't using shortening. Any ALL shortening based, crusting buttercreams should be able to be smoothed using the viva method.

Elcee, I agree with you that it takes lots of practice. I can get my 1/2 butter buttercream "presentable" as well but not perfectly smooth like I can the shortening buttercream. It has something to do the the higher content of liquid found in butter than that is found in shortening. Like when you use all shortening to make buttercream you use more milk than when you use all butter (crusting).
I don't know the "scientifics" of these things but I've read that this is the reason why you don't get as good results with viva when your icing is made with butter.

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Maybe I'll just only do fondant cakes! hahahahahaha

I found that watching some youtube videos extremely helpful in getting smooth icing. I found tonedna and seriouscakes particularly helpful, although there are others out there.

hi, i'm pretty new in baking but really proud of how i ice my cakes. i crumb coat my cake before i frost it. it's just a really thin layer of frost. and i make sure no crumbs gets in my bowl of frosting. after i do this i put my cake in the freezer for 5 minutes. after that, i then frost my cake. sometimes i use the wilton cake icer tip if i remember. but i always forget to prepare the bag. so the big spatula works. once i finish frosting, i put the cake back in the freezer for 10 minutes. after 10 minutes, i bring out my 4" high density foam paint roller that i bought from the paint department at Walmart and then roll it on my cake. it really works for me!

good luck!

Forgot to say that I do crumbcoat. It's essential. Guess I just assumed that everyone did that. I also have one of those high density rollers. It works great as well. I just forget that I have it most of the time until I'm finished with my viva

Hi, i would not use shortening, it s nasty.
If you don't want to get crumbs just try not to go back where you just iced.
I ve never tried the foam paint roller but i m going to so you should try!

My paint roller method has worked for me using an all shortening butter flavored icing and an all butter buttercream. I haven't found a half butter/ half shortening recipe.

I learned this from my Wilton Class. All of us are novice bakers and decorators. But we all have really good looking frosted cakes. Even the edges looked crisp. I don't know where I can find the Viva paper towels. I want to try out that, too.

You can buy Viva brand paper towels at any store that sells paper towels. They are a little more expensive than most paper towels but they are smooth so they don't leave any imprint on your cake. It just gives it a nice finish.

Edna (Design Me A Cake) and Sharon (Sugarshack) both have tutorials on youtube showing them using the viva method to smooth buttercream.

agreed Mamarobin.
butter or shortening, the fat is still clogging your arteries LOL

Are you guys using High ratio shortening or plain ole "Crisco" brand? When using shortening/butter icing I too use the Viva or roller method, I freeze my cake for a short time before I crumb coat and freeze again and finish coat. It seems to work for me, but you have to work fast because when you have a cold cake the icing gets hard faster and it sometimes sweats so you have to let the water evaporate before putting fondant on. As for the taste I have had several people actually request the "wilton buttercream" over real IMBC. I couldn't believe it it was what they were use to.

I don't like IMBC . Am I weird? Give me good old Crisco base everytime

angled spatulas are a dream come true for me. also, hear in aust, our viva paper towels havr ripples, so that doesnt work to well for us, lol.. ive tried! i use grease proof paper to smooth after i have smooothed it as much as p[ossible with the spatula. also make sure your crumb coat is as smooth as possible as well, because that going to be your base. i use a half shortening half butter recipe for my b/c too.

and do you have a turn table? i dont, but i use a bread board that spins on my bench surface and i find that if your able to turn the actual cake, insteadof moving the spatula, you get a better finish.

good luck!

Thanks mamawrobin. I have been hearing about IndyDebi's Crisco Based BC recipe I finally decided to look it up and check it out. You are right no need for freezer or fridge so it will cut out a lot of wait time and headache! I will be adding this to my options. I am sure some people will still prefer IMBC and some will want this.

I saw a tv show about bakeries and one person used a fabric kitchen towel to smooth the buttercream. They don't use fondant on their cakes but it really looks like they do. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure it's very much like the Viva method.

DianaJJ

A kitchen towel would work but it would leave the imprint of the fabric weave. I can't think of a fabric that wouldn't leave the weave imprint, unless they used some kind of polyester knit. The advantage of the viva is that you don't have to wash to re-use it. For people that can't get the viva without ripples you can use parchment, wax paper or typing paper.

Thanks for all the great feedback, guys! I do crumb coat, but I don't usually let it set back in the fridge before going over it again. I'll definitely try that and be more patient with it, as well as the give the roller method a go!

I know a lot of people use the all shortening or partial shortening buttercreams, but it is just a personal preference to use all butter. I wouldn't say the buttercreams with shortening taste nasty, but I hate the sort of oily aftertaste with those shortenings. Plus, I like the taste of all butter much better.