Obviously, i'm a first timer here, and i have a class tomorrow that i have to take in an iced cake for...but the icing won't stay on the cake!!! i keep getting little holes everywhere...its buttercream btw...am i doing something wrong??? any helpful tips?

What is your recipe?

its the wilton buttercream recipe which calls for 1 C crisco vegetable shortening, 1 tsp flavoring, 3 tbs milk, 4 Cpowdered sugar and 1 Tbs meringue powder

3T of water gives you medium icing. You really need 4T of water to make it thin, which will go on your cake better and stick.

The holes are from air. If you mix it too long or at too high of a speed it can cause air bubbles which is where the holes come from.

the holes can also be caused by the fat not being totally pulverized in the mixing.

I compare it this way: Ever been on a beach with really fine sand? Ever slide your hand across the path and see the perfectly smooth path you leave? But ... if there is a pebble in the path and you slide your hand across the fine sand, the pebble drags across the sand and leaves a valley or a 'hole'. The pieces of fat do the same thing. As you glide your icing spatula over the icing, you are pushing those particles of fat and the holes you see are the trails left by the particles of fat.

Sugarshack has a good video on mixing icing and I believe (if I remember from watching it) that the mixer is running 8 or 9 minutes. I also mix mine a long time.

wow...you both make alot of sense. Thanks! for my next cake i'll mix well and make sure to get the air out!