Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

ingredients

3 cups King Arthur™ Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa (Perugina, if available)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Colavita™ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups cold water
FROSTING
2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Lite Cream Cheese, at room temperature
3 1/2 to 4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon oil or 1 tablespoon almond extract
Crystallized white sugar for sprinkling on topButter and flour two 9-inch cake pans and set aside.

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.
6
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.
7
Cut the cake into wedges to serve.
8
Note: You may use either regular all purpose flour or cake flour in this recipe; both will give great results. For the icing, use either the cream cheese or an equal amount of Marscapone cheese for an even richer frosting.