OK, so I'm not sure if this is just me or not 
I use tonedna's buttercream recipe. How long do you all wait for your buttercream to crust? I was making a cake this morning and frosted, let it sit for about 45 mins, and it apparently STILL wasn't crusted. When I tried to smooth it (wax paper, don't have Viva), it stuck to the paper... This past week, I have had 5 cakes and all the same thing. I have tried in the fridge, out of the fridge, various time lengths... (House is 70 degrees, not humid yet, lol) So, I guess I'm asking is it the recipe, the amount of time, the wax paper, or just ME?
I'm not sure if this is the answer, but buttercream varies a lot in its moisture content, depending on the surroundings and the consistency you need, among other things. Maybe you just need to try letting it dry for a couple of hours or from one day to the next. I know I've never been able to smooth crusting buttercream without having it stick to the paper (I don't have Viva either, so I use typing paper or that frosty kind of plastic - here in Mexico it's called polipapel, but I don't know the name for it in English). When I absolutely can't get out of using buttercream, I put the cake on a stand, frost the cake with my frosting tip - the big one that's smooth on one side and serrated on the other - and then take my bench scraper and turn the cake around against it to smooth the sides. I use a large metal spatula to do the same thing to the top.
I have found with that recipe that if I don't use high quality butter (I use Land O Lakes) and if I don't use hi ratio shortening, then it is inconsistent on the amount of time to crust. Hope this helps!
I have found with that recipe that if I don't use high quality butter (I use Land O Lakes) and if I don't use hi ratio shortening, then it is inconsistent on the amount of time to crust. Hope this helps!
I made a batch of buttercream and used it for 2 different cakes (different days) it crusted in no time on one cake and took FOREVER to crust on the other one!!! I thought maybe since the buttercream was in the refrigerator for awhile before I made the second one that did something????? I know that really isn't any help to you but thought I'd share!!! 
ashleyb4, thanks for your input, but it's not waxed and it's not paper. I think it's a plastic, but it's doesn't tear or stretch when you pull on it. It's great stuff, because when you wrap fondant and gumpaste in it, it sort of breathes or something, and what's inside it never gets slimy, like it can with regular plastic wraps. I've been wracking my brains trying to find out what the name of this stuff is in the States, but the only place I've ever used it is here. It's also great for doing FBCTs and chocolate transfers on. I just don't know what I would do without it!
each recipe is different and teh crusting factor is determined by the fat-sugar ratio.
my icing recipe crusts well and holds the crusting in extreme heat. I can ice one 2-layer cake, set it aside, ice another 2-layer cake, then go back to the first one and melvira roller it. When I'm done melvira'ing the first cake, the 2nd cake is crusted and ready to melvira. So mine can be ready to smooth in about 5 minutes or less. Sometimes I have to wait 10 minutes, but never more than that.
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