Chocolate Puppy Cake fit for a 3rd birthday!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup Kroger brand organic unbleached all purpose flour (it's barley free) or whatever flour you prefer
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder, divided
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce (or pear sauce or....)
1 cup coconut milk (or other milk)
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch baking pans.
2. Stir together 1/2 cup applesauce and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, set aside to do its thing.
3. Combine dry ingredients.
4. Add milk, oil, vanilla and beat on med speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add applesauce mixture and boiling water. Stir until well combined. Mixture will be thin!!!!
6. Pour into pans. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until toothpick in center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely and frost.

Note: for this cake shape I used one heart shaped cake pan and one 9 inch round cake cut in half to make ears.

* Adapted to be allergy-friendly from the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe on the back of the cocoa powder box!