Easter was the weekend before last and it’s interesting when you compare the religious “reason for the season” vs. the “chocolate egg laying Bunny”. As children, my sister and I would dress in our Catholic Church best for Sunday mass. We always looked forward to the part where we got to greet and shake our neighbours hand “and peace be with you”.

But let’s rewind a bit shall we?! Right before dressing up and combing out our tangled locks, we’d be stuffing our faces full of chocolate, quickly trying to unravel the foil one after another. The amount of chocolate I consumed on Easter morning (before 10 am) over all the years of my childhood is actually quite unbelievable when I take the time to really think about it. I say childhood but I’m pretty sure my sister and I were hunting for chocolate right up until we were 21. I love that I say I’m pretty sure like I’m not confident that at 21 I was racing around my house looking for Easter eggs and solid milk chocolate bunnies trying to beat my even older sister.

Fast forward to about 8 months after Easter and we’re now decorating the homestead for the Christmas holidays when something catches my eye. Like a glimmer of hope, only it’s not hope it’s foil. In my mad dash to find THE MOST chocolate I must have missed a sweet little melt in my mouth egg. Now I know what you’re wondering – what did I do with that tasty chocolate treat?! Not gonna lie I ate it, and I’d do it again. Waste a perfectly good chocolate, pffffffft, we’ve all heard of the 5 second rule right?!? Well if that shit is in a wrapper it’s good for at least a year.

Speaking of good all year round, I suggest you try out this super tasty carrot cake recipe. Not just ideal for when the Easter Bunny is in town.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups GF flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 cup pineapple drain liquid if using canned
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 5 carrots)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

Goat Cream Cheese Pineapple Icing
1/2 cup goat butter
8 oz goat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons pineapple juice
2-3 cups icing sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 9” cake pans with grapeseed oil then set aside.

Grate your carrots and then toast and chop the pecans and set them aside as well.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt,
then in another bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the sugar and eggs, then add the unsweetened apple sauce, crushed pineapple, and vanilla extract.

Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together, then toss in your grated carrots and toasted pecans.

Pour your cake batter evenly between the two greased cake pans, then into the oven it goes for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.

To make the Goat Cream Cheese icing.

Toss all of the ingredients into a large bowl and use a hand mixer to blend until light and fluffy, but for all you novice icing makers, make sure you add the liquid just a little at a time or you’ll end up with a drizzle rather than a solid frosting. Equally as a delicious, just a little harder to use to decorate.

Make sure you let the cake cool completely before throwing on your or cream cheese icing or it will just melt right off the cake, will still be tasty just a little less pretty, I know this because I learnt the hard way.