It’s in our nature to spoil our pets, and if there’s one thing that always goes over well with our pups it’s food! You don’t have to be content with what you can find at the local pet-themed big box store, however, instead you can create something right at home.
Not only is it cheaper, but your dog may even notice it’s been made with love. Best of all? We’re going to teach you how to design your own!
Some Doggone Good Guidelines for Your Pet’s Birthday Cake
Realistically, you can’t just make a cake from a package for your dog. Some, like chocolate, are dangerous for canines and the rest simply have a different nutrient distribution than what your dog actually needs.
So, we must come up with other ways to do things.
Almost all dog birthday cake recipes have a few key ingredients: some sort of flour, eggs, and oil. Flour type is important: we don’t recommend using wheat flour since so many dogs are allergic to wheat.
Instead, consider using either a nut-based flour like almond flour, healthy rice flours, or chickpea flour. These all have a better nutrient profile for your pet and don’t change the way you’ll need to cook significantly.
The oil is often simply vegetable oil, but coconut oil is a healthy alternative that shouldn’t raise any issues. Few allergic possibilities are presented with oils, but you should consider caloric content for any recipe that’s not fed in rare circumstances. Dogs require a certain amount of calories based on their weight, age and activity level. You can use a dog calorie calculator to work out your pup's daily calorie needs.
At times, things like peanut butter may take the place of some or all of the oil. It’s the fat content that’s important for the end consistency of your pup cake.
Many recipes use eggs as well, especially those which lead to a real cake. Not all use them to provide substance, however, and many use puree vegetables or other thickening agents in their place.
What does change is the composition of the cake when it comes to fruits or vegetables. The list of foods that dogs shouldn’t eat is very long, but most other foods are on the table. Our dogs aren’t true carnivores, so there’s no need to use a dressed-up meat dish like you would for a cat’s birthday celebration.
We don’t use sweeteners as we would with a human cake: dogs are susceptible to sugars and it’s just empty calories. Save the sugar for your non-fur babies.
All the basic cake recipes that follow can be made simply by mixing the ingredients together before placing them in a baking dish or creating small shapes to later cover with frosting.
All the cake recipes listed should be cooked at 350° and between 25-35 minutes. You can alter the time if you don’t feel the consistency of the cake is right, but your dog is unlikely to notice unless it’s cardboard dry.
Frosting for a dog cake usually consists of sweet potato, pumpkin, or yogurt, combined with fruits or vegetables. All below can be prepared with a simple mixing bowl and a spoon, no need to complicate things!
1. Sweet Potato Carrot Cake
Batter Recipe:
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup puree sweet potatoes
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting Recipe:
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ¼ cup sweet potato puree
- Sprinkling of shredded carrots
A simple recipe that makes a dog-approved cake with few utensils and no exotic ingredients needed.
Combine the oil, honey, and sweet potato in a mixing bowl. Beat them together and then add in the rest of the ingredients before mixing to a uniform consistency.
You’ll cook the cake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F. While it’s baking, you can mix together the frosting at your leisure.
This is relatively simple as cakes go, but it’s a great treat for your dog. By only using honey as a sweetener, and a lack of heavy-fructose fruits, you get something unique for your pup while staying within its nutritional bounds.
It’s a solid dog cake that doesn’t require any special kitchen finesse, hence why it makes the top of our list.
2. Peanut Butter Blueberry Dog Cake
Batter Recipe:
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 1 egg
Frosting Recipe:
- Peanut butter
- Blueberries
For something a little bit different, this cake is easy to make and modify to your dog’s taste. In this example, blueberry is picked but it will work well with most dog-safe fruits.
Combine the ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl. You’ll cook the cake at the usual 350°F for 30 minutes when the batter is whipped together and ready. You may want to bring out a mixer for this, especially if you want to distribute the berries evenly throughout the mixture.
Once the cake has been cooked, you’ll apply a layer of peanut butter and place whole blueberries on the exterior. The sudden texture change is appealing to canines.
The end result is a cake that you may have a slice of yourself. It’s heavy and filling, so don’t feed too much at once, but it’s a perfect example of an adaptable, simple dog cake recipe.
3. Coconut Berry Dog Cake
Batter Recipe:
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup flour
- ⅛ cup blueberries
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
- 1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil
Frosting Recipe:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- Shredded coconut
- Sliced berries
Looking for something with a heavy fruit base? We’ve got you covered with a coconut berry cake. It’ll even end up being visually appealing once you’re done!
Mix the batter ingredients as usual. In this case, you should also consider using coconut flour although it’s not a requirement. Place in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes like usual.
While you’re waiting for it to cook, you can prepare both the frosting and the toppings. The frosting is simple in this case, and you should mix in the shredded coconut last while placing the berries to one side.
Finish the cake by topping it with sliced blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries for a beautiful cake that your dog will love.
Conclusion
Making a birthday cake for your dog is simple, it’s just a matter of finding the ingredients that suit both of you. The main difference between a dog cake and one meant for humans is finding the right carbs and sweeteners without dipping to good ol’white flour and sugar. Keeping the cake high in protein and fat is best, but there’s no harm in a bit of honey or berries either.
So, do these dog birthday cake recipes with fruits and veggies sound appealing? It’s much simpler than you’d think!
