1) using 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar 2) adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract 3) adding 1 8oz. can of crushed pineapple (I squeezed out most of the juice before adding it, I didn’t want any extra fluids in the cake) 4) Added 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 5) added 1 extra teaspoon of cinnamon 6) used 3/4 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup applesauce. The result came out incredibly delicious – the cake was very flavorful and moist. For the frosting, I only used 3.5 cups of powdered sugar, and it was more than sweet enough, with a nicely balanced cream cheese vs. sweet flavor. If I would change anything again, I would use less pecans – it’s a bit too nutty for my personal tastes. Also, I followed another reviewer’s suggestion of grating the carrots with the large grater side (the one you use for cheese) so that you don’t end up with a bunch of carrot mush and juice that can’t be used.

May need to add another 10 minutes to baking time.

Note-these cookies will stay fresh for days in an air-tight container, thanks to the pudding!