Torta di Cioccolato di Olio di Oliva (Chocolate Olive Oil Cake)

I have tried many choclate cake recipes out there, but when I crave for a real good plain chocolate cake, I make this Italian version chocolate cake because I think it's the KING of chocolate cake recipes out there, it's very moist, dense and the chocolate flavor is da BOMB! Unless of course you can prove me wrong, but I doubt it after you have a taste of this chocolate cake!

Torta di Cioccolato di Olio di Oliva

3 cups All-Purpose Flour or Cake Flour (both work well)
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons Perugina cocoa or HERSHEY'S cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups cold water

FROSTING
2 8-ounce packages Marscapone cheese or Cream Cheese - at room temperature
(Using Mascrapone Cheese will give you a richer flavor)
3 1/2 to 4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon oil or 1 tablespoon almond extract
Crystallized white sugar for sprinkling on top.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.
Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. With a hand mixer on low speed beat in the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake the cake. It should be firm to the touch, and a cake skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean.

Put the cake pans on cooling racks and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to cool completely. Frost when cool with frosting below.

Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth; gradually add in enough of the sugar to make a smooth frosting that is not runny. Stir in the cinnamon oil or the almond extract.

Frost the cake layers and sprinkle the crystallized sugar over the top or if you are making the cupcakes, frost them and sprinkle the tops with the sugar.