oh wow...the Melvira method has been a LIFE SAVER!!!!!!!! I had no idea that someone here on cake central was the inventor of this method so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MELVIRA!
Also....Edna's you tube video "How to ice a cake my way" is amazing
jemchina how did you get the icing to come out so white....I tried it and mine is a creamy color and the cream cheese kinda takes over the taste...it tastes great but for this cake I'd rather not use the cream cheese...thanks for the great recipe though, I'll definitely be using it
jemchina how did you get the icing to come out so white....I tried it and mine is a creamy color and the cream cheese kinda takes over the taste...it tastes great but for this cake I'd rather not use the cream cheese...thanks for the great recipe though, I'll definitely be using it
I used clear vanilla, probably if I had used regular vanilla it may have been an off white color. Also I actually used 2 Lbs of powdered sugar versus just the one pound in the original BC recipe. When I had to make a second batch I cut the cream cheese 2 just about 3/4 of a bar, because I was afraid the icing might be to soft under the fondant. Oh and don't forget the salt. I forgot it the second time around and really noticed a difference, added it later on and re mixed it. Just a side note the picture of the finished cake has a layer of fondant under the pink/orange decorations which are also MMF (and that did come out very white). The one underneath is just the plain icing after smoothing.
I guess you could prepare everything without the cream cheese, and then just add enough to your liking. I added the cream cheese afterwards in my fist batch and it worked wonderfully.
The air pockets you will find in your icing usually come from over beating and beating too fast. The only way you can work around this if you want to beat fast is using Sharon's method where you cover the whole paddle.
But if you are doing small amount you need to stay in a low setting or you will encounter this problem often. And dont overmix.
Another reason could be that you are using Crisco, the lack of fat wont help. Try high ratio shortening. I know people dont want to spend the money but its so worth it, once you try it you will never go back to anything else.
Edna 
oh wow...the Melvira method has been a LIFE SAVER!!!!!!!! I had no idea that someone here on cake central was the inventor of this method so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU MELVIRA!
Also....Edna's you tube video "How to ice a cake my way" is amazing
We love Melvira!..I still have to try her way, been too lazy to go buy a roller..haha. But she is a sweetheart!
Thanks for the complements!
Edna 
http://cakecentral.com/articles/126/quick-easy-smooth-icing-using-a-roller-melvira-method
Here is the article that outlines all the details!
Thanks Melvira.. I saw the tutorial and I love that we can use it on Non crusting BC, Have you tried it on IMBC?
Thanks
I think there's a lot of variables. What works for one person may not work for another. Icing in a wet climate may not respond the same in a dry climate.
I watched Sharon's video, read Melvira's method, watched all the youtube stuff I could find...I finally jumbled them all together for my super Shar-mel (or should I say Mel-on) method 
Have to watch Edna's and then I could call it the Sharmelna method
I also got so frustrated getting the icing right that I switched to But-R-Cream (Sam's Club) so I could focus on just the smoothing. That stuff smooths like a dream! Now that I have learned more on smoothing, I'm back to Mel's crusting buttercream recipe.
I just love that all the experts like Mel, Sharon, and Edna put their tricks out there for me to learn from.
BTW Mel, LOVE the blonde do!!!
For jemchina, I tried using the crusting cream cheese buttecream of Edna but it still wouldn't crust for me, what cream cheese, butter did you use. I want this particular recipe even if it's too sweet at least it has a cream cheese to taste but I definitely have a hard time crusting it, pls help
I think there's a lot of variables. What works for one person may not work for another. Icing in a wet climate may not respond the same in a dry climate.
I watched Sharon's video, read Melvira's method, watched all the youtube stuff I could find...I finally jumbled them all together for my super Shar-mel (or should I say Mel-on) method
Have to watch Edna's and then I could call it the Sharmelna method I also got so frustrated getting the icing right that I switched to But-R-Cream (Sam's Club) so I could focus on just the smoothing. That stuff smooths like a dream! Now that I have learned more on smoothing, I'm back to Mel's crusting buttercream recipe.
I just love that all the experts like Mel, Sharon, and Edna put their tricks out there for me to learn from.
BTW Mel, LOVE the blonde do!!!
Thats the beauty of cake decorating, you learn and combine your lessons and use what works best for you. Nobody does it wrong, just the way that they can do best!
Edna
A few things you can do, #1 is choose a BC recipe using a soft fondant instead of a larger sugar granule, smaller the sugar the better.
#2 After you beat the crap out of it with a beater ,put it on slow for a few minutes (like a sponge cake it will knock the lager air bubbles out) Even better and i do this with my writing butter cream is put the BC on the bench and knock the air out of it by smoothing it out on the bench with a pallet knife.
Holes in the icing also can be created not just by beating at high speed but the sugar granule can dissolve after you have musked the cake and then leave a hole in the icing.
Hope this helps
A few things you can do, #1 is choose a BC recipe using a soft fondant instead of a larger sugar granule, smaller the sugar the better.
#2 After you beat the crap out of it with a beater ,put it on slow for a few minutes (like a sponge cake it will knock the lager air bubbles out) Even better and i do this with my writing butter cream is put the BC on the bench and knock the air out of it by smoothing it out on the bench with a pallet knife.
Holes in the icing also can be created not just by beating at high speed but the sugar granule can dissolve after you have musked the cake and then leave a hole in the icing.
Hope this helps
Are you saying use a fondant sugar? I just found this at a local baking supply store. I was just reading about fondant sugar in a baking book and was going to explore this some more. (I wish they would carry hi-ratio shortening, but they don't 
)
But I thought powdered sugar a very fine sugar. Would it help to sift it? And what does the term "musked" mean in cake decorating?
Thanks!
Thanks for all the excellent comments you guys! The nest part about the roller is sheer speed. If you are doing a cake that is not going to have many decorations on it, so the icing has to be immaculate, crisp edges, etc. then you would probably want to take more time, but for a cake that you are going to put some decorations on, and will therefore be a little more 'busy', the roller smooths it out very nicely but VERY QUICKLY! You can have smooth icing in 2 minutes instead of smoothing and smoothing and smoothing. I don't like to spend a lot of time on the smoothing process, that's why I like this.
For jemchina, I tried using the crusting cream cheese buttecream of Edna but it still wouldn't crust for me, what cream cheese, butter did you use. I want this particular recipe even if it's too sweet at least it has a cream cheese to taste but I definitely have a hard time crusting it, pls help
Hmm Mine crusted great, but remember I used a combination of both of her recipes. (also I put mine in the fridge overnight, because it was late and I was going to finish it off the next day) I'll post below my exact measurements. As for brand, I think I used "publix" store brand cream cheese, and land o lakes butter. With the addition of salt I did not find it to be overly sweet at all. I guess you can try salted butter to see if that makes a difference.
1/2 c. hi-ratio shortening
1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened) can use 3/4 of the bar only for more stiff consistency
1 T meringue powder
1 T vanilla flavoring
2 Lbs powdered sugar (i used Domino brand)
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 T water
My variation was that in my second batch I used a little less cream cheese, because I was worried it might be to soft under the MMF. Another tip, is I put some on the back of a spoon, and stored the rest. I checked to see how the crusting was coming along. You can add a little more powder sugar if yours is not crusting at all. It depends on the environment, but I live in a hot and humid place, and mine crusted like in 15 minutes. What I liked is that the crusting was just perfect for smoothing, but underneath it was soft. I also keep the AC very cold while working on my cakes.
A few things you can do, #1 is choose a BC recipe using a soft fondant instead of a larger sugar granule, smaller the sugar the better.
#2 After you beat the crap out of it with a beater ,put it on slow for a few minutes (like a sponge cake it will knock the lager air bubbles out) Even better and i do this with my writing butter cream is put the BC on the bench and knock the air out of it by smoothing it out on the bench with a pallet knife.
Holes in the icing also can be created not just by beating at high speed but the sugar granule can dissolve after you have musked the cake and then leave a hole in the icing.
Hope this helps
Are you saying use a fondant sugar? I just found this at a local baking supply store. I was just reading about fondant sugar in a baking book and was going to explore this some more. (I wish they would carry hi-ratio shortening, but they don't
)But I thought powdered sugar a very fine sugar. Would it help to sift it? And what does the term "musked" mean in cake decorating?
Thanks!
poured fondant is what I mean here is a link
http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-poured-fondant-icing click on the word chef for the recipe. At body temp the mix should be a pouring consistency. Cold it should be firm but soft, if too hard heat in the microwave like you do with chocolate and add some more water and let cool again.
masking is applying the icing to the cake with the pallet knife
For jemchina, I tried using the crusting cream cheese buttecream of Edna but it still wouldn't crust for me, what cream cheese, butter did you use. I want this particular recipe even if it's too sweet at least it has a cream cheese to taste but I definitely have a hard time crusting it, pls help
Hmm Mine crusted great, but remember I used a combination of both of her recipes. (also I put mine in the fridge overnight, because it was late and I was going to finish it off the next day) I'll post below my exact measurements. As for brand, I think I used "publix" store brand cream cheese, and land o lakes butter. With the addition of salt I did not find it to be overly sweet at all. I guess you can try salted butter to see if that makes a difference.
1/2 c. hi-ratio shortening
1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened) can use 3/4 of the bar only for more stiff consistency
1 T meringue powder
1 T vanilla flavoring
2 Lbs powdered sugar (i used Domino brand)
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 T water
My variation was that in my second batch I used a little less cream cheese, because I was worried it might be to soft under the MMF. Another tip, is I put some on the back of a spoon, and stored the rest. I checked to see how the crusting was coming along. You can add a little more powder sugar if yours is not crusting at all. It depends on the environment, but I live in a hot and humid place, and mine crusted like in 15 minutes. What I liked is that the crusting was just perfect for smoothing, but underneath it was soft. I also keep the AC very cold while working on my cakes.
thanks jemchina , i really appreciate it. i will try it on my next cake and will let you know if it will work for me. my place is definitely not humid but i guess i have to turn on the AC for better crusting
Hmm Mine crusted great, but remember I used a combination of both of her recipes. (also I put mine in the fridge overnight, because it was late and I was going to finish it off the next day) I'll post below my exact measurements. As for brand, I think I used "publix" store brand cream cheese, and land o lakes butter. With the addition of salt I did not find it to be overly sweet at all. I guess you can try salted butter to see if that makes a difference.
1/2 c. hi-ratio shortening
1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened) can use 3/4 of the bar only for more stiff consistency
1 T meringue powder
1 T vanilla flavoring
2 Lbs powdered sugar (i used Domino brand)
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 T water
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I wanted to add that I made this recipe last weekend and got different results from the first time..so wierd...it crusted super fast, and when I tried to smooth it looked like wrinkled elephant skin....I was able to fix it ( by adding another layer of re-mixed batch to cover the first one)..but I played with the recipe again today for another cake this weekend, and to my surprise I achieved that super smooth no air bubbles in the KA like Sugar shacks technique. SO I'm going to post my exact measurements and what I did. This time I needed to double the recipe because it was for a 3/4 sheet cake and character on top.
1 c. hi-ratio shortening
1 c. unsalted butter 2-sticks (softened)
8 oz cream cheese (softened) cut in half
2 T vanilla flavoring
3.5-4 Lbs powdered sugar (i used Domino brand)
1 tsp salt
2-3 T white chocolate flavored creamer(liquid can be changed, but cake is white chocolate so I thought I'd sneak some more flavor in there)
So I combined shortening, butter and only half of the cream cheese until smooth. Then I added the vanilla, and sifted sugar and salt... a cup at a time on low-medium speed. As it started to incorporate and look a little crumbly and dry I added a bit of the creamer. When it was all incorporated I added the rest of the cream cheese on low speed until combined. I have a 4.5 KA and the paddle was submerged so I mixed for another 5 min on med speed, until it resembled that dollop of ice cream from dairy queen You could see it was smooth with no air pockets. It looked like perfect buttercream, YEAH!! and I was finally glad to achieve that Sugarshack technique that I have had such difficulty with. I don't know why but adding that bit of cream cheese at the end works for me. This is a crusting cheese cream buttercream, so I hope this helps those looking for this type of recipe.
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