My Go-To Grain-Free Dog Birthday Cake Recipe, 5 More Easy Recipes & Food Safety Tips

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If you’re like me, your canine is your greatest pal, emotional assist buddy, and four-legged soulmate all rolled into one. So when my pup Tiny’s gotcha day comes round, I am going all out with a bit of celebration, full with a home made, dog-friendly cake.

Over the years, I’ve tried just a few totally different recipes, and I’ve realized that you simply don’t want something fancy — just some easy, dog-safe elements and a bit of love.

Whether you’re marking a giant milestone or simply really feel like spoiling your pup “just because,” I’ve obtained some bark-worthy canine birthday cake recipes your furry pal will completely love.

Can Dogs Eat Regular Birthday Cake?

As tempting as it’s to purchase a conventional birthday cake on your pup, most human desserts are loaded with sugar, dairy, chocolate, or synthetic sweeteners like xylitol, all of which might be dangerous (and generally lethal) to canine. Xylitol and chocolate are particularly poisonous, and even vanilla cake could cause your canine companion tummy hassle.

Instead, whip up a deal with that’s only for them. Trust me, they gained’t miss the frosting.

The excellent news? Dog house owners now have many choices to offer wholesome and delightful desserts for canine (and ice cream) made particularly for doggie bellies.

You can both order a simple dog-friendly cake combine (like Puppy Cake Wheat-Free Peanut Butter Cake Mix and Frosting) on your pup or, for those who’re a chef at coronary heart, you can also make one your self.

Dog-Friendly Cake Ingredients

When selecting a canine cake recipe, search for elements your pup already loves and examine together with your vet for those who’re uncertain about any elements. Some secure, tasty decisions embrace:

• Proteins: Chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, salmon, or dog-safe peanut butter
• Fruits & veggies: Pumpkin, carrots, apples (no seeds), banana, blueberries, or candy potato
• Dog-safe bases: Oat flour, rice flour, entire wheat flour, or unsweetened applesauce
• Toppings: Peanut butter (xylitol-free), plain Greek yogurt, unsweetened coconut flakes, and many others.

My tip is to preserve it easy (until you’re going for the Instagram-worthy cake picture). Dogs don’t care about fancy flavors or an expertly adorned cake; they only need one thing yummy (and secure). See our complete information on which human meals canine ought to keep away from.

My Go-To Dog Birthday Cake Recipe (Tried & Tasted!)

Let me let you know about Tiny, my 13-year-old rescue Cocker Spaniel combine with a giant character and a fair greater love for 2 issues: human meals and being the middle of all the things.

I rescued him when he was simply 6 months outdated, and ever since, we’ve celebrated his “adoptaversary” yearly with a bit of household celebration and a home made doggy cake made only for him.

A couple of years in the past, although, issues obtained difficult. Tiny developed sensitivities to grains, gluten, and dairy, which meant most canine cake recipes have been off the desk. No flour, no yogurt, no downside, proper?

Well, it took some trial and error, however I lastly landed on the proper resolution: a grain-free peanut butter and apple cake that’s completely tummy-friendly and Tiny-approved.

This recipe is a superb choice for every kind of dietary necessities. It’s grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, and sugar-free. Best of all, it’s extremely simple to make, and the elements are inexpensive.

It’s probably not an Instagram-worthy presentation, however I make it for his pleasure, not for me. If you need to put your chef’s hat on and get extra adventurous together with your baking, leap all the way down to some different unbelievable canine and pet birthday cake recipes.

Grain-Free Peanut Butter Apple Dog Birthday Cake

This dog-safe cake recipe is a pup-approved deal with your furry pal will love — excellent for birthdays or simply as a result of. It’s grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, and sugar-free!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 (Varies by canine measurement)

• 3 Tablespoons dog-safe peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 apple, grated or finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• coconut oil spray

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

• Mix collectively all elements till clean.

• Grease a jumbo muffin tin or ramekin with coconut oil spray. Because Tiny is a small breed, I separate this into 2 servings and simply use a daily muffin pan.

• Spoon in your batter.

• Bake for 20 minutes, or till it turns golden and a toothpick comes out clear.

• Let cool for a couple of minutes, after which slide the cake out of the baking tools.

• Cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

• Frost with a small quantity of peanut butter (optionally available) and serve.

Optional 

• I normally chop up the apple as a result of Tiny likes the crunch, however in order for you a smoother cake, I like to recommend grating the apple for a finer cake.
• If your pup can tolerate a small quantity of dairy, you possibly can subsitute your peanut butter frosting with plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt for a extra conventional birthday cake frosting look. 
• I additionally normally sprinkle just a few of Tiny’s small canine treats or chopped up cooked bacon bits on high for added crunchy taste. 

Dog Birthday Cake Decorating Ideas

Even although your pup won’t care about presentation, we people love a superb social media photo-op! You can costume your pup cake up with a few of these dog-safe decorations.

Frosting Ideas

• Plain Greek yogurt (no-fat and unsweetened)
• Mashed candy potato or common white potato
• Cream cheese (in small quantities)
• Dog-safe industrial cake frosting mixes (like Magifrost or Pastries 4 Pets)

Toppings

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a pastry piper, use a zip-top plastic bag with a nook snipped off to pipe enjoyable shapes or write their title.

5 More Dog Birthday Cake Recipes

Looking for extra methods to have fun your pup’s large day? Whether your canine loves candy, savory, baked, or no-bake treats, there’s one thing right here for each style and eating regimen.

These recipes vary from easy one-bowl bakes to fancier layer desserts — all made with dog-safe elements you possibly can be ok with. Try one (or just a few!) and make their celebration further particular.

1. Pumpkin & Applesauce Homemade Dog Cake

This cozy, fall-inspired cake is full of scrumptious flavors like pumpkin and applesauce. It’s moist, fluffy, and makes sufficient to share together with your pup’s canine celebration attendees. Bonus: it’s human-friendly, too!

Ingredients

Yield: 8 servings

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (do NOT use peanut butter with xylitol)
• 1/2 cup applesauce (plain, unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (make sure you use pure pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie combine)
• 1 egg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a big bowl, mix flour and baking soda.
• Mix the vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce, and pumpkin puree in a separate bowl. Once mixed, add within the egg and blend once more.
• Combine the moist and dry elements.
• Pour the combination right into a greased 8″ pan.
• Bake for 25-Half-hour or till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear.
• Allow to chill earlier than eradicating from the pan.

Source: Love From the Oven

Our First-Hand Experience Making This Cake

This recipe is my go-to cake recipe, which I make for my canine’s adoption day anniversary yearly. I initially obtained it from Love From The Oven. I wish to have fun my canine’s adoption day all week by giving her a chunk of cake daily till it’s gone. She loves it! Sometimes, I add peanut butter or leftover pumpkin puree to the highest of the cake as “frosting.”

– Kimberly Alt, Dog Parent & Pet Insurance Expert at Canine Journal

2. Double Layer Meat Cake Recipe

This double-decker meat cake is full of hen child meals, eggs, and shredded carrots, and topped with crispy bacon crumbles and a yogurt “frosting.” It’s principally a savory showstopper — excellent for canine who need the entire celebration centered on them.

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour (rice or oat flour is simpler on some pups’ tummies)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ cup softened margarine
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 5 oz. hen child meals
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 giant container of plain Greek yogurt
• 4 strips of bacon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Grease two spherical cake pans (8”). You might also need to flour the pans, though that is optionally available.
• In a small bowl, mix the flour and baking powder and put aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs till effectively blended.
• In a big mixing bowl, beat the margarine. Add the eggs and oil, mixing till effectively blended.
• Add the hen and carrots. Continue beating.
• Slowly add the flour combination till it’s all effectively blended.
• Pour half the batter into every of the baking pans.
• Bake for roughly one hour. Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the desserts; if it comes out clear, the desserts are able to be faraway from the oven.
• Let the desserts cool for at the least 10 minutes earlier than turning them out onto wire racks to chill utterly.

While the desserts are cooling, fry the bacon in order that it is vitally crisp. Drain, then cool and chop into small items.

To ice and adorn the cake, place one layer on a serving plate and canopy it with 1/3 of the yogurt. Place the second layer on high of that and canopy it with the remaining yogurt. Be positive to ice the edges as effectively. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon excessive.

3. Chicken & Carrot Pupcakes

Made with cooked hen and carrots, these little pupcakes are a pleasant various to candy desserts. They’re easy, wholesome, and ideal for canine preferring one thing extra meaty on their big day.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cooked, shredded hen breast (no seasoning or pores and skin)
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 giant egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium hen broth (or water)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg and hen broth collectively.
3. Add within the shredded hen and carrots. Stir to coat.
4. Sprinkle within the flour and stir till all the things binds collectively right into a spoonable dough.
5. Divide combination into cupcake tins or type into mini patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or till calmly browned and set.
7. Cool utterly earlier than including optionally available yogurt topping.

4. No-Bake Sweet Potato Cake

If you’re quick on time or don’t really feel like baking, this no-bake cake is a superb choice. Simply combine all of the elements collectively, form them, chill, and serve. It’s comfortable, tasty, and made with elements which can be mild on delicate stomachs.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plain canned candy potato (no added sugar or spices)
• 1/4 cup pure peanut butter (xylitol-free)
• 1/4 cup rolled oats or floor oat flour
• 1 teaspoon flaxseed meal (optionally available, for fiber)
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt (optionally available, for smoother texture)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine the candy potato and peanut butter till effectively blended.
2. Stir in oats, flaxseed, and yogurt (if utilizing).
3. Form right into a small cake form utilizing your arms or press right into a silicone mould.
4. Chill within the fridge for at the least 1 hour to permit the combination to agency up.
5. Serve chilled or let come to room temperature earlier than serving. Store leftovers within the fridge.

5. Salmon & Quinoa Dog Cupcake

These cupcakes are made with canned salmon, quinoa, and a little bit of yogurt for topping. They’re nice if you wish to make one thing totally different from the same old hen or peanut butter treats, particularly for fish-loving pups.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup canned salmon (in water, no added salt – drain effectively and flake)
• 1 tablespoon cooked quinoa (plain, unseasoned)
• 1 giant egg
• 1 tablespoon rice flour or oat flour
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley (optionally available – helps with breath)

Topping:

• 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (for “frosting”)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl, combine salmon, quinoa, and egg collectively.
3. Stir in flour and optionally available parsley to type a moist batter.
4. Scoop right into a greased muffin tin (makes 1–2 cupcakes).
5. Bake for 12–quarter-hour, till agency and calmly golden.
6. Cool utterly, then add a dollop of yogurt on high.

5 Dog Cake Tips & Safety Notes

A celebration ought to be enjoyable, not adopted by an emergency vet go to. Keep it secure with these fast suggestions:

1. Double-Check Every Ingredient
   Never use chocolate, raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, nutmeg, xylitol, or an excessive amount of dairy. When unsure, skip it or ask your vet.
2. Introduce New Foods Slowly
   If your canine has a delicate tummy, serve a small portion and monitor for any response.
3. Portion Size Matters
   Cakes are treats — not meals. Start with a small slice and save leftovers for tomorrow’s pawty encore.
4. Let It Cool
   Always cool desserts utterly earlier than serving. Hot meals = burned tongues and unhappy pups.
5. Remove Inedible Decor
   Before serving to your pup, take away all candles, ribbons, or toothpicks that could possibly be swallowed.

Want To Throw A Full-On Dog Pawty?

Now that you simply’ve obtained the cake coated, take your doggy birthday celebration to the following stage:

• Get doggy celebration provides.
• Make peanut butter “mocktails” (simply combine peanut butter with water and serve in a cute dish).
• Set up a dog-safe play zone or sprinkler splash celebration in your yard.
• Send your company residence with treat-filled doggy baggage.

Check out our final information to planning a birthday celebration on your pup, which supplies you tons of recommendations on tips on how to host the perfect birthday or adoption anniversary day celebration on your particular furry pal. It contains the perfect pup-specific celebration provides and way more.

Do you will have a favourite cake you make on your canine’s big day? Let us know in our feedback!