Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper and the sides of the pans and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and mix until well combined.

Stir in the vanilla yogurt. Set aside.

In another large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined.

Pour in the milk and carefully mix until well combined.

Add the remaining flour mixture and mix well.

Remove 2 cups of the batter to a second bowl.

Add the vanilla extract and black food coloring to the bowl with the 2 cups of batter and mix well.

Add the cherry extract and red food coloring to the bowl with the remaining batter.

Pour the black cake batter into one cake pan. Divide the cherry batter between the 2 remaining pans.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan then run a knife around the edges and remove the cakes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, place the butter for the buttercream in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth.

Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until all sugar is added.

Mix in the milk and vanilla and mix well.

Remove 1/4 c. of frosting from the bowl and dye it yellow. Dye the big bowl of frosting a medium to dark gray color using black food coloring.

When ready to assemble place a red cake layer on a cake round. Spread 1/2 cup of frosting on top of the cake and then place the black layer on top of it. Spread 1/2 cup of frosting on top of the black layer then top with the last red cake layer.

Cover the cake with the gray frosting.

Pour the Monster Mash sprinkles into a bowl. Carefully scoop them on to the bottom half inch to inch of the cake all around the base.

To decorate the sides of the cake place tombstones and ghosts around the cake. Use the black gel to make a few spooky trees. Pipe yellow frosting circles to make full moons. Put pairs of eye balls all around the tombstones.

On top of the cake you can place the gingerbread coffin and then pur a few eyeball pairs and ghosts.

If you aren't using the coffin make a big tree in the center of the cake using the black gel. Place a tombstone on either side of the tree and lay candy bones below them. Place a few ghosts and eyeball pairs on top of the cake. Pipe a yellow full moon if desired.