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This easy Homemade Dog Cake will have your fur baby barking for more! It is crafted with tasty dog-friendly flavors, like pumpkin, applesauce, and peanut butter, but the best part is watching them eat it! Your dog will devour this special birthday treat and love every bite!
Everyone loved seeing Bosco’s doggy ice cream recipe, but he is finally turning one so I am pulling out all the stops to make Bosco a Dog Birthday Cake fit for a KING!
Let’s be real, I love baking for dogs and, even in dog years, a birthday only comes around once a year. That is why I wanted to help Bosco celebrate his birthday in style and so can you with this easy and fun Dog Birthday Cake recipe!
I love spoiling my dogs. I’ve made everything from Copycat Frosty Paws to Sweet Potato Dog Ice Cream to Pumpkin Dog Treats, but none of those fun treats are as special as this once-a-year showstopper! Bosco went barking mad for this cake and your pup will love it too!
Ingredients Needed for Dog Birthday Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Use this pantry staple to make the base of this cake. All-purpose flour is great for dogs but if you prefer, you can use whole wheat flour instead.
- Baking Soda: This ingredient is a leavening agent that helps the cake rise nicely and gives it a chewy texture.
- Salt: A little salt highlights all of Fido’s favorite flavors in this easy cake.
- Pumpkin Puree: Homemade or store-bought pumpkin puree is perfect for dogs! It has a mildly sweet and vegetative taste that drives dogs wild; plus, pumpkin is loaded with nutritious fiber.
If you open a can of pumpkin and don’t use it all, store the remainder in the freezer until your next dog-friendly bake (you can even freeze the pumpkin in an ice cube tray and give it to your dog as a treat). - Applesauce: Applesauce helps to sweeten and bind the easy cake together. Apples are great for doggie digestion! Be sure to choose regular, unsweetened applesauce for the most natural, pup-pleasing flavor.
- Natural Peanut Butter: You will need peanut butter in the cake batter and in the frosting. Natural peanut butter has an authentic flavor that cannot be beaten and is naturally xylitol-free. When baking for your pooch always read the label and pick a xylitol-free jar.
- Egg: Egg works in this easy recipe on so many levels. It binds, enriches, and leavens the cake, all while adding pet-friendly protein to the mix.
- Milk: A little milk helps to make the cake rich and spongy.
- Plain Yogurt: Any style of plain yogurt will work for this frosting, but I love Greek yogurt.
- Mini Dog Bones: These are optional but mini bones are a nice decorative finishing touch for this easy dog cake. I crumbled some up to create dog-friendly sprinkles for the top of the cake that turned out SO CUTE!
A Warning About Xylitol
Xylitol is a common sweetener in commercial peanut butter, but this often-overlooked ingredient can be very dangerous for dogs.
Xylitol, even in small quantities, is toxic to dogs. It can cause severe side effects including seizures, hypoglycemia, and liver failure. In really drastic cases it can even kill, so never serve your dog peanut butter with xylitol.
Whenever I post a dog related recipe on social media, I always get SO MANY comments about this. SO, be sure to check your pb!
How to make a Dog Cake
- Preheat the oven and grease two cake pans with cooking oil. Line the pans with parchment paper to avoid sticking.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set them aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients until well combined. Fold in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake until the cakes are set enough to pass the toothpick test. Allow the cakes to cool completely before icing.
- To make the icing, whisk together the yogurt and peanut butter until well combined.
- Frost the cake. Add the optional dog treat decorations and then watch in delight as your pup eats this up!
Expert Tips
If you think peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting is a little one-note for your furry friend, why not have some fun with the frosting!? You can swap the peanut butter for sweet potato or pumpkin puree. Either of these substitutions will add some color and flavor to this finished cake!
How to Serve this Dog Birthday Cake
I really love people who go all out for their pets! Obviously, the dog might not care if the cake is too fancy or served on a nice platter, but you can still have a little fun in honor of your special furry friend.
Try grabbing a disposable tablecloth and set the table for your dog. Take a picture of them with cake quick, because once they taste it they won’t want to stop!
How To Store this Cake
Once your pup has gotten their paws into this cake there won’t be much to save. However, if you want to prepare the cake in advance and chill it until the big reveal, that is totally okay!
To store the cake, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
F.A.Q.
Q: Is This Cake Safe For Dogs?
A: Yes! This cake is safe for dogs. It even has ingredients that help promote a healthy coat, skin, and digestion, but remember that this is an extra special treat, not a replacement for their regular food.
Q: Do I Need Piping Bags?
A: No! You can go as simple or fancy as you like with the frosting, but if putting it in a piping bag helps you out, go for it! If you do not have piping bags, try using a cake knife or offset spatula to evenly frost this fun dog treat.
Q: Can Humans Eat This Cake?
A: Sure! This dog-friendly cake is made with common pantry ingredients. The flavor may be a little mild and less sweet than what humans are used to, but feel free to try a bite.
One Last Bite
Doggie birthdays are the best, so when you whip up this cake for your dog, please remember to take a pic and tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your dogs enjoying their cake!
Dog Birthday Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup applesauce
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, make sure that it’s xylitol free
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons milk
Frosting:
- 1 cup plain yogurt, I used greek yogurt
- ½ cup peanut butter*
- Optional for decoration: mini dog bones
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray 2 6 inch cake pans with cooking oil. I also like to line them with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking soda, and salt.1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, Pinch salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, apple sauce, peanut butter, egg, and milk. Once fully combined, fold in the dry ingredients.¾ cup pumpkin puree, ½ cup applesauce, ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, 1 large egg, 3 tablespoons milk
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before icing.
- Make the icing by whisking together the yogurt and peanut butter.1 cup plain yogurt, ½ cup peanut butter*
- Ice the cake and decorate as desired!Optional for decoration: mini dog bones
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this cake for my brother’s dog’s 2nd birthday party yesterday. Came out great, looked pretty and the dogs devoured it very quickly! Thanks for the recipe.