It was an easy masterpiece! True, the cake and frosting were homemade (check out www.hersheys.com - search recipes for "perfectly chocolate" chocolate cake) but I can attribute the fuss my guests made to the powdered sugar design I made with a Martha Stewart cake stencil. 

A little powdered sugar goes a long way. You can find full cake (and cupcake) stencils at the craft store (in the Martha Stewart section) and online. 

Try it!