The top of my cakes stick to my cooling rack

Next time you bake and have checked for doneness (center temp is 195 degrees F on a instant-read thermometer, a metal skewer poked in the middle comes out crumb-free, the cake is just beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, and/or the center springs back when you poke it lightly with a finger, which should have no sticky batter stuck to it when you pull it away), allow the cakes to sit for 2 additional minutes in the turned-off oven with the door propped open slightly.

Next, let your cakes cool uncovered in their pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from their pans and allow them to cool bottom-side down on a rack for another 10 minutes. Place the entire rack uncovered in your freezer for an hour or two before frosting them. Cakes are much easier and neater to frost while they're frozen.

When icing, place one layer on the plate bottom-side down, spread it with frosting, then place the second layer on top with its bottom-side up, i.e. the tops of both layers will be in the middle of the cake.

Re: leveling off the top of your cake, do this instead: http://www.food52.com/foodpickle/4580-cake-pans-straight-sided-vs-slant-sided

The best way to avoid those annoying little stripes is to ignore the silly instruction in the first place. Let the cakes cool in their pans, right side up on a rack for 15-20 minutes. Then run a small spatula (a small offset works really well) around the edge of each. Turn each one over, lift the pan off, then turn each cake right side up again.

Happens all the time, you should cool them bottom of the cake on the cooling rack. I turn it out onto one then another so bottom of cake is on the rack. You won't have that problem if you do that.