Cocoa Yogurt Layer Cake

I have been preoccupied the whole of last week, doing what??????  What else?  Making figurines out of gumpaste and baking of course.  I had to make a cake for a set of twins, Tatum and Cole who turned 10.  Cole wanted a Chocolate Cake, so this was the cake i made.  I took this opportunity to experiment on 'HOW to bake a LEVEL cake', one which i did not have to level by cutting into the cake.  I am sure, all you bakers will agree on how frustrating it must be, to level cakes by slicing and ending up with mounts of scrapes.  I will post my experiments as soon as possible but first i would like to share this cake recipe which is a very tender, inexpensive cake.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa powder - natural unsweetened(spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1/2 cup lukewarm water/whole milk
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water/whole milk
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup fine granulated sugar
1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup/1 stick unsalted butter - room temperature
2 large eggs - room temperature, beaten to blend
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven' preheat to 350f.

Grease three  9 inch diameterake pans with 1 1/2 inch high sides.  Line with parchment paper rounds; grease parchment.

Whisk cocoa and 1/2 cup warm water/whole milk in a small bowl.

Whisk yogurt and 1/2 cup water/whole milk in a small bowl.

Sift flour, salt and baking soda in a medium size bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and butter unil fluffy(mixture will be appear granular), about 5 minutes.  With mixer running, gradually add beaten eggs, then beat until smooth and fluffy, about 15 seconds.

Add cocoa mixture, beat to blend.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with yogurt mixture in 2 additions, beating to blend after each addition.

Divide batter among pans (about 1 3/4 cups each)

Bake cakes for about 18 minutes.or until tester inserted into center comes out clean, reversing pans halfway through baking,

Cool completely in pans on rackes.

When ready to assemble cake for frosting, run knife around sides.  Carefully invert 1 cake onto plate(cake is very tender), peel off parchment. Spread cake with frosting .  Invert second cake onto a cake board and .  position cake 2 inches above frosted cake layer.  Carefully slide cake onto first cake layer, then .peel off parchment.  Spread with frosting and repeat with the third cake layer.