Any ideas on how to get super smooth (almost fondant looking) buttercream icing? More and more people request cakes w/out fondant b/c they don't like the taste but it looks so much neater to me. It's hard to not reveal any texture in buttercream icing!

Do a nice crusting buttercream, let it set up for a few minutes, after you have competely iced your cake . Use Viva paper towels to finish smoothing out with your hands, in a very soft but firm cirular motion all over your cakes. It works great. In fact all most all of my cakes are buttercream, but alot of chef and decorators think they are fondant. I love fondant cakes, but my clients prefere buttercream. So I try to master the look and give the look and the taste of both. Of course, Fondarfic is the best fondant I have ever used on the cakes and my clients love it. Hope this helps

One thing that really helps is that when you make your buttercream, make sure that the ingredients cover the paddle when it is being mixed, this way no air bubbles make it in there! sugarshack has a great thread on there about smooth buttercream and so does toedna1. She is on you tube . com with a lot of tutorials, they are GREAT. HTH.

Try Indydebi's buttercream recipe and use the Melvira foam roller method to smooth it. It will make your life so much easier.

thanks everyone!

Unfortunately I haven't been able to get this down yet, because I use all butter and no Crisco in my buttercreme. Which gets a LITTLE bit firm, but when I've tried the Viva towel method with my buttercreme, the frosting just looks squished and a little...well, kinda wet. Not attractive. So I just keep trying to smooth it with the spatula or bench scraper. Over and over and over and over....

viva paper towels are the only way to go

All of the above are great suggestions, but I must add...Practice, Practice, Practice. (as the voice of one who is still practicing!)

Have you tried the hot knife/spatula method? I've only tried it with IMBC, but I've heard of other people using it with american bc too. Chill the cake, so the icing firms up. Have a bowl of HOT water nearby and a towel. You can use an off set spatula for this, but honestly, I use a putty knife from the hardware store. It's as wide as my cakes are so I only have to do one swipe around the edge. Dip the spatula/putty knife in the hot water and dry it off. Place it on the cake and turn the turntable. The heat of the metal helps to smooth over the chilled frosting.

I also like to use the upside down method to ice bc cakes. Makes just a great, sharp edge that looks so great.

I swear by the Melvira method with a high density roller. Works so well! All but one of my cakes is BC in my photos.

thanks

whats the melvira method?

What is the upside down method?