I have 2 issues I need help/advice with.

1. I grease and flour my pans. When I turn them out, some parts have stuck to the pan making the cake "flaky" (my termonology). How can I get it perfectly smooth?

2. I crumb coated for the first time today. I filled the cake this morning and decided to give it a quick crumb coat so that when I put the buttercream on, it would go that much quicker. I put it in the fridge for about 8 hours. Took it out and started icing and the icing was sliding all over. I had to be very careful applying the icing.
Thanks for the help!

How long do you let the cake cool before you turn it out? I only wait 5-10 minutes....

Is it hot and humid where you live? Sometimes a cold cake can condense and make it slippery to ice...it doesn't happen too much to me as long as my a/c is running well, but in the very hottest and most humid times of the year, it can be hard, because I refrigerate all my cakes.

stop flouring your pan. I have grease-only-no-flour'd my pans for 30 years. The flour actually puts a baked on "film" on the cakes that gets in your icing. I discovered the no-flour thing accidentally and never looked back. THe cakes come out so pretty and smooth.

I will never mess up my cakes by flouring my pans ever EVER again.

My cakes are leveled and flipped out of the pan within 2 minutes of coming out of the oven. Part of the reason is I don't want them to continue to bake while sitting in a hot pan. Part of the reason is I'm pretty much a lazy person and just never had the patience to wait 10 minutes, tapping my foot, checking my watch, before flipping a cake out. Git-R-Dun!

I use that homemade cake release (whip equal parts shortening, oil, and flour) and it works GREAT...I know what Indy is talking about and I don't think it leaves that film on the cakes.

I'm like that...too impatient to keep checking hot cakes...out they go, onto the rack!!!!

I use Wilton's cake release and have also made my own as described earlier. I ALWAYS line my pan bottoms with parchment. I've never tried just greasing the pans like Indy but I may try.

Kitagrl - I let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes.
I live in NJ. I always keep the temperature in the house about 68. I took the cake out of the fridge and immediately started icing. I didn't think it had time to condense. I won't do that again. Thanks!

Indydebi - I know exactly what you mean about the "film" which I didn't like. 2 MINUTES!!!!!! WOW! AND LEVELED TOO??!! I will try that! I can totally agree with you about the patience issue! Thanks!

Kitagrl again - I made that concoction of the shortening oil and flour but was afraid to try it. It was like thick syrup. Maybe I'll try that too!

CarolAnn - I have lined the bottom with wax paper - not parchment but the sides still came out "flaky". Does parchment and wax paper give the same result? Thanks!

Oh...you have to whip the shortening/oil/flour (and I like a tad extra flour) until its white and fluffy...it takes about 10 minutes.

I always ice cold cakes so if your house is that cool, I don't suppose it would condense...you'd know if it was, it would look like water droplets. Maybe it was your buttercream recipe...?