Funny Bunny Carrot Cake

So I'm posting this recipe in advance (aka no pictures today!) but I made this carrot cake for Easter brunch last year and it was SO delicious that I'm making it again this year and wanted to share it with everyone :)

It was my first attempt at making carrot cake even though I am an avid carrot cake fan. In fact, my mom and I might have been known to eat carrot cake with our breakfast once or twice (or much, much more) especially at Chesapeake Bagel Bakery...

Carrot cake as a rule is pretty unhealthy, as most recipes call for a ton of oil. Well, that's one of the reasons at least. I have swapped part of the oil for applesauce and it still turns out delicious! You can swap applesauce for oil in many baking recipes. I usually still use some oil and replace about half to three-quarters of what is called for with applesauce. The swap rule is a 1:1 ratio, so if you decide you want to replace half a cup of oil, just replace it with half a cup of applesauce.

Without further ado!

Funny Bunny Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (I buy them pre-julienned; if you grate them yourself, use the large side of the grater)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
You can either make your own simple recipe or...buy Betty Crocker. I'll let you guess which one I tend to do...


Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 inch pan.
2.) In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, white sugar, and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Fold in carrots. Pour into pan.
3.) Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for ten minutes and remove from pan. Let it cool completely and then frost!
4.) If you wish, you can add some slivered nuts to the icing to make it look more carrot cake-like. Pecans, almonds, or walnuts would all work.
5.) ENJOY!

~Anna