An easy dog birthday cake recipe that takes less than an hour to make is something your dogs will certainly be drooling over! Our dogs have always been considered our family and our "fur children". We love making our dogs something special on their birthdays to celebrate, just like we do as humans!
This birthday cake for dogs is made with super simple ingredients that are generally safe for dogs to eat. It is important to consult your veterinarian and be mindful of your own dog's diet, allergies, and individual dietary recommendations.
Every dog is different and will tolerate foods differently. Be your own best advocate for your own dog, please! This recipe is one that I have personally created and used for my own dogs who do not have dietary issues. What works for my dogs may not work for yours. This cake is also not meant to be served in one sitting - it should be divided up into small servings based on your own dog's size and caloric intake.
Important Note: Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is TOXIC to dogs. Please do not ever feed this to your dogs and ensure that you are reading every ingredient in food products that you give them. Xylitol can also be known as "birch sugar", "wood sugar", "xylit", "E967" and can be hidden. Please read every label to ensure none of these are listed in your ingredients.
I always personally inspect and read each ingredient to sure they are safe for dogs. Most importantly that the peanut butter is natural unsweetened and does NOT have Xylitol in it. This is a sugar alcohol that is TOXIC ingredient to dogs. PLEASE read the ingredients on the peanut butter jar and the nonfat plain yogurt container to ensure you buy a safe one for dogs and does not have xylitol or any sweeteners in it.
If you enjoy this dog cake recipe, be sure to check out all of my other dog friendly recipes here.
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Ingredients Needed for a Dog Birthday Cake
This easy dog birthday cake recipe includes common ingredients, many of which you may already have in your cabinet. The dog cake only requires 6 ingredients, not including the added water.
- Oat Flour
- Unsweetened Applesauce OR Pumpkin Puree
- Egg
- Coconut Oil, melted
- Plain nonfat unsweetened yogurt
- Natural peanut butter
See recipe card for quantities.
PLEASE READ: Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is TOXIC to dogs. Please do not ever feed this to your dogs and ensure that you are reading every ingredient in food products that you give them. Xylitol can also be known as "birch sugar", "wood sugar", "xylit", "E967" and can be hidden. Please read every label to ensure none of these are listed in your ingredients.
How to Make a Dog Birthday Cake
This easy dog birthday cake is just that simple, it is EASY. Anyone can do it and it takes very little time to pull it all together. First you'll want to preheat the oven to ensure it is fully preheated by the time your cake is ready to bake.
- Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together egg, applesauce, and melted coconut oil until combined. Add in oat flour and turmeric (optional), then fold into the wet ingredients to combine fully. Batter will be thick. Add in the water and mix to thin out the batter just a little bit.
- Step 2: Shred carrots (or use pre-shredded carrots) and fold into the prepared cake batter. Reserve some shredded carrots for additional topping/decoration.
- Step 3: Once cake batter is fully mixed, add it into a parchment lined/greased 6" cake pan that is at least 2" deep.
- Step 4: Bake in oven for 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Step 5: Once the cake is fully baked, you will need to let it cool for at least 10 minutes before flipping it out on a plate or cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
6. Step 6: Let the cake cool completely! While the cake cools, we will make the super easy frosting for the dog cake. The frosting should be stored in the refrigerator if you make it ahead of time because it is made with yogurt.
7. Step 7: Mix unsweetened nonfat plain yogurt and natural plain peanut butter in a separate bowl to make the dog cake "frosting". Natural peanut butter and nonfat yogurt are usually thinner so they mix well together and get thicker while the yogurt chills the peanut butter.
8. Step 8: The frosting mixture becomes the perfect consistency to spread on top of the cake. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake with a spatula/butter knife/back of a spoon.
9. Step 9: You can also place the frosting mixture in a piping bag fitted with a piping tip if you want to be fancy! I like to use an open star or closed star piping tip to create a frosting border around the edges of the cake.
10. Step 10: Sprinkle remaining shredded carrots over the top as decoration. Admire your beautiful dog cake - snap a pic! Then slice up to individual servings based on your own individual dog and serve! Store any remaining in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Additional Topping Ideas for Dog Cake
Feel free to add additional toppings or decorate as desired, ensuring you only use all dog safe ingredients as toppings. Some toppings I have used in the past include the following:
- blueberries, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries
- green beans
- dog treats/milk bones
- dog food/kibble pieces
- shredded cheese
Equipment Needed to Make Dog Birthday Cake
You can make this simple dog cake with kitchen equipment you likely already have, especially if you bake often.
- 6" round cake pan (If you plan to double this recipe, you'll want to have two cake pans or a larger pan. You can also use this dog cake recipe to make cupcakes if desired instead using a cupcake pan.)
- mixing bowls
- rubber spatula/spoon/whisk to mix the batter/frost the cake
- parchment paper to line the pan/coconut oil to grease the pan
- cheese grater or food processor to shred the carrots
- piping bag/Ziploc bag and piping tip (open star or closed star) if desired to decorate the cake with a piped border or frosting swirls on top of the cake
How to Store Dog Cake
Store the prepared cake in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Our cake usually does not last this long, but we have stored it up to a week. I have also froze the prepared cake for up to one month. When wanting to serve, thaw in the refrigerator until no longer frozen before serving.
FAQ: Can I Double or Triple This Recipe?
Yes! This dog cake recipe easily doubles and triples!
Below is a picture of a 2 tiered dog cake I made for my one dog's 10th birthday. I wanted it to be big and special especially considering she was dealing with some health issues and 10 is a big birthday!
It was important to officially mark double digits for our sweet German Shepherd girl and it was so fun to make her something elaborate. Her 1 year old Golden Retriever brother was very happy to share in the celebration!
To make a similar dog cake with 2 tiers, you would need to triple this dog cake recipe. I used an 8" cake pan to create the bottom layer and a 6" cake pan to make the top layer. You'll also want to make extra frosting, a double batch will make plenty with some left over. A single batch of frosting would be enough if you do not want to do the piped borders.
To make a 2 layer dog cake, you will need to double this dog cake recipe and use two 6" round cake pans. I also doubled the dog frosting recipe here and piped extra swirls on top with a thicker frosting layer in-between cake layers, and a bottom border.
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Easy Dog Birthday Cake
Equipment
- 1 6 inch round cake pan
- mixing bowls
- rubber spatulas and whisk
- piping bag and piping tip optional for frosting decorations
- cheese grater or food processor to shred or grate carrots finely. I typically cheat and use my small food processor because it's quick!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 ounces melted coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce (OR plain pumpkin puree)
- 1 cup shredded or grated carrots (save some for topping as a decoration if desired. You can also use pre-shredded carrots if you do not want to shred them yourselves. )
- ¼ cup water (may not need the entire amount, to help thin the batter as necessary)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric (**completely optional, I do not always add this in.)
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter (***ONLY use natural creamy peanut butter without any extra ingredients. READ THE LABEL of the jar to ensure the only ingredient is peanuts. DO NOT use any brand containing extra ingredients especially XYLITOL which is TOXIC to dogs. This is so important, please read your labels and ensure you are only using what is safe for your dog.)
- ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Optional Toppings/Decorations
- shredded or grated carrots
- blueberries, sliced strawberries, sliced banana, green beans, or any other pet safe fresh fruit or veggie
- assorted dog treats
Instructions
Dog Birthday Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 6" cake pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil or a dog safe nonstick baking oil spray. Set aside.
- Shred carrots in a food processor or grate them with a cheese grater. Set aside. Alternatively you can use pre-shredded carrots.
- In a bowl, whisk together egg, applesauce, and melted coconut oil.
- Add in oat flour and turmeric, then fold into the wet ingredients to combine fully. Batter will be thick. Then add in the water and mix to thin out the batter.
- Lastly, fold in the shredded carrots (up to 1 full cup, but save a few tablespoons for decorative topping if desired).
- Pour dog cake batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (a few crumbs is fine, just no wet cake batter).
- Let cake cool in pan before removing and transferring to a wire rack or plate to cool completely before frosting.
Dog Birthday Cake Frosting
- In a bowl, measure out equal parts dog safe natural peanut butter and plain unsweetened Greek yogurt. Mix together until fully uniform.
- Spread the dog frosting evenly on the cooled cake. Additionally, put some frosting in a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip and pipe a decorate border or swirls on the cake. Top with remaining shredded carrots or dog safe toppings if desired. Slice individual servings (size appropriately for your own individual dog) and enjoy!
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Notes
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