I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE SO MANY AIR BUBBLES IN MY FROSTING !!! I AM SO FUSTRATED I CANT SEE (OR TYPE) I AM DOING EVERYTHING THE SAME AND ADDING NOTHING NEW, I AM USING THE PADDLE WITH MY KA. I JUST DONT UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what speed are you mixing at??? I have the same problem with my recipe. It doesn't matter what speed I mix at I get them... I have a great recipe so I just deal with it. Sometimes I'll let the icing set and then gently do figure-eights with my spatula and that helps.
I think it might just be that you're mixing it at too high of a speed and that works in a ton of air into the icing. I was having the same problem...big pockets of air that would make icing & smoothing a real pain. I started mixing the icing in my KA no higher than speed 2. I know...it takes longer....lol....but it really made a difference. And I always use the paddle only. Also, letting it mix for too long, no matter what speed, can result in too much air worked into the icing. So now, once all the ingredients are in the bowl, I just let it stay at speed 2 and I stop it when I no longer see any dry powdered sugar - usually about 3 or 4 minutes. Then I scrape down the bowl...sides and bottom...and turn it on to 2 again for maybe 1 more minute. After I remove the bowl from the mixer and the paddle, I let it sit for a little bit and gently work it with my rubber spatula, like TamiAZ does. Occasionally I'll get a bubble or two, but it's soooo much better than before when I was mixing at speeds 4 and 6. Slow & easy makes a difference...lol. I just use the time, while it's mixing, to clean up everything and by the time I'm done, the icing is done. Thank the good Lord for KA's!!! 
Hope this helps!
I just saw Sharon's (sugarshack's) tips on buttercream! You might want to give her recipe a try. She makes a large batch that covers the paddle in her 4.5 qt KA. She says that this helps avoid getting too much air in your icing. I have a 6 qt Pro KA, but I'm going to give hers a try too...just need to adjust the recipe a little in order to fill my mixer to just above the paddle...lol. She gave some other tips to the smoothing part of it all that really sound promising! It's in the How Do I? forum, I believe and it's titled 'My buttercream tips'...check it out!!
Glad I was able to help ya!! 
I used to have this problem when I used Wilton's class recipe for buttercream. Since I switched to a new recipe that uses half butter/half Crisco I haven't. Don't know why there's a difference. The recipe is very basic, just butter, Crisco, confectioners sugar, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and milk or water. This recipe is whipped on a high speed in my Kitchenaid for 8 minutes and I don't have problems with air bubbles.
You might just experiment with different frostings.
No I never get exactly 3 cups with that class buttercream recipe. I generally use the half crisco, half buttercream and I always have a few air bubbles as well. I could not possible mix any less than I already do and I still have air bubbles. Any other ideas?
Wendysue have you found that the salted butter works better for you than unsalted? I see your recipe said you added the salt, I just use salted butter instead. Just curious. :0)
I use the salted butter and then add a pinch of salt. It's still too sweet for my taste. Lately I've also been adding a small amount of heavy whipping cream too. I beat it separately, then add it to the frosting. Usually about 1/3 cup to a batch. This really tastes pretty good. Just be careful not to add to much. It's more challenging to decorate with.
Adding whipped cream kinda defeats the goal of no bubbles in the icing! 
It sounds really good though. I usually use cream in the place of water if I'm making butter/crisco chocolate buttercream. Coffee works well too.
I'm going to have to try adding the cream whipped. You add it in addition to your liquids, right?
I'm going to have to try adding the cream whipped. You add it in addition to your liquids, right?
Yes, I've been keeping my recipe as is and then adding the whipped cream. It might be better leaving the liquids out though. It's very soft and difficult to decorate. That's another reason I am careful to only add a small amount. There will be more air in the frosting, but it's just so much better tasting than the regular stuff. It's softer and lighter too. As long as you don't add too much it works pretty well. If you go to my blog and look at my sporty cake you'll see a cake decorated with this frosting. I didn't have any trouble doing my decorations. I probably wouldn't have used it for roses, but for basic stuff it works fine.
Do you think it alters the texture enough to satisfy people who like more of a whipped icing? I think alot of people's palates have been ruined by Kroger and Wal-Mart whipped icing. Yuck!!
Thanks for the tips...I'm going to try this for a chocolate cake I have due tomorrow.
Wendysue have you found that the salted butter works better for you than unsalted? I see your recipe said you added the salt, I just use salted butter instead. Just curious. :0)
I use the salted butter and then add a pinch of salt. It's still too sweet for my taste. Lately I've also been adding a small amount of heavy whipping cream too. I beat it separately, then add it to the frosting. Usually about 1/3 cup to a batch. This really tastes pretty good. Just be careful not to add to much. It's more challenging to decorate with.
Ok now I'm being a total pain i know But when you say you beat the heavy cream seperate. Why?? Does it thicken up more? Just curious cause I have no problems with air bubbles, However my smooth frosting does need some serious work I really appreciate all of your help. Thank you
Oh yeah, does it make it taste like wal-mart's frosting? I worked in a grocery store for 10yrs and we had a special name for that particular store's frosting. (can't say it here hehee) But you always had a choice of either buttercream (ok) or the whipped cream (not good) thank you again
When you beat heavy cream, it thickens and turns into whipped cream. You know, that awesome stuff sold in cans in the cold section of your grocery store under the brand name of Reddi-Whip...yummmm (although I like Land O' Lakes brand better...no carbs ).
Doesn't Wal-Mart use Bettercreme? Whatever it is, it's gross.
I just like the texture better when I whip it separately?? I think that's the word I'm looking for. I don't like whipped cream frosting at all, so I'm not adding enough to make it even close to that. I love buttercream, but don't like it too sweet, so this is just a way I've found to cut back on the sweetness. It works well for me.
I've tried mixing it with the frosting unwhipped and maybe I'm crazy, it's very possible, but I just didn't think it worked as well. I can't even really analyze this too much for you, because I only did it that way once! 
I like to play with different ingredients, so that's how I discovered this, but who knows, in a month I may be on to something else.
that's just tooo funny I'm kinda like that too regarding moving on to something new. But I really like the idea of the heavy cream.
Cakepro:
If you would have said that it turned into that yummy stuff that you use for strawberries and such then I would have been Oh YEA!!! Now I know HEHHEHEEEEE
I work in a bakery, where they make their own icing, dont know the complete recipe but i know they add corn syrup. to look at the icing in the bucket it is full of airholes, but it smooths lovely on the cake. we usually give the icing a good stir which helps to smooth it out a bit, but im wondering are you only worried about the airholes in your icing when your making it or are you having trouble with them when you ice the cake?
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