Okay the icing recipe is the easiest recipe on the planet.
In the top of a double boiler melt 6 cups of chocolate chips (semi sweet or dark) and then remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of sour cream and let chill until spreadable. You can't let it be completely cooled as it hardens a bit.
As for stacking the cake. Onetier might have some easier tricks or tips but this is what I learned (and paraphrased) out of the wilton cake book.
There are two things you can do. If you are doing what I just did just plop it on top like you would any cake. However if it's going to be more than one tier you need to support each layer.
1. Bake your layers and decorate them minus fine details and finishing touches. Each layer should have it's own "plate" (you can buy foil covered cardboard discs in different sizes at bulk barn I like to go a little smaller than the actual cake size for everything but the bottom layer.
2. You will also need cake dowels. Cut the dowles to be level with the cake. In every layer but the top layer (duh) put four dowels in the centre to form a square. Space the dowels about an inch to two inces apart. and then cut
3. stack you layers and do any finishing touches and touch ups and fine details.
Re: Cake tricks shared
Sounds perfect. The only thing I would suggest is that if you have a layer that's larger than 12" you should use more dowels. Other than that sounds right.
I've also found the wilton icing recipes make great icings that are really easy to smooth.