Get ready to throw the ultimate paw-ty because I’ve got the perfect homemade dog birthday cake recipe for celebrating your furry friend’s special day.
And before you get worried about how difficult it might be, or wondering if your baking skills are up to the job, let me reassure you. Because as much as I love my dogs, I want a dog cake to be quick and easy (as well as lip smackingly delicious). Which is why I’m excited to share my simple recipe for a doggie birthday cake with you!
Whether you’re planning a doggie birthday party or just a cozy gathering with a few furry friends, this tiered dog friendly cake with yogurt frosting is a piece of cake to make and is guaranteed to get your dog’s lick of approval!
This article is based on research and personal experience as a Vizsla owner. I’m not a qualified dog trainer, breeder, Vet or dog behaviourist.
Why I Love This Homemade Dog Birthday Cake Recipe
I love celebrating my dog’s birthday with a cake! They give us so much love and happiness, they deserve a treat on their special day.
But I have to admit I like a dog cake to be easier than the cakes I make for my human kids, because, well, they take a lot of time!
Which is why I love this homemade dog birthday cake recipe. It is so quick and easy to prepare (even for novice bakers), and the two tiers looks super impressive!
It is the perfect dog friendly cake for a doggie birthday party as there is plenty to share around.
And even if you’re keeping it simple and inviting just a couple of doggie friends over to celebrate, this is a surprisingly easy dog cake to make at home for the occasion.
Really not much harder than these banana pupcakes, which are also a favorite in this house for doggie birthday celebrations.
Ingredients For A Dog Cake
All the ingredients and steps for how to make a doggie birthday cake are listed in the recipe card below, but I’ve outlined them here with a little more explanation for each.
- Applesauce – gives the cake a lovely natural sweetness. You should buy unsweetened applesauce to keep the sugar quantities down.
- Peanut butter – use smooth dog friendly peanut butter. Please check the ingredients to make sure it does not contain xylitol (poisonous to dogs) or any other artificial sweetener.
- Pumpkin puree – buy it canned or make your own at home by simply steaming chopped pumpkin. Do not use pumpkin pie mix as it may contain spices and sweeteners your dog shouldn’t eat.
- Wheat flour – I use whole wheat flour in my dog cakes as it’s more nutritious than all purpose flour. However, you can substitute all purpose flour in this recipe.
- Greek yogurt – used in the frosting and a more nutritious alternative to cream or cream cheese! You can also use natural yogurt – just avoid flavored ones.
- Baking soda, egg, vegetable oil – necessary to make the cake bind and rise. Small quantities of baking soda when baked in cakes for dogs is not considered dangerous for dogs.
How To Make A Dog Birthday Cake
Your DIY dog cake literally takes 15 minutes to put together in just a couple of steps!
Don’t be overly concerned about your cake making technique, as your furry friend is NOT going to refuse your cake, even if it is not as light and fluffy as a human cake!
I share photos of the steps below, but scroll down to the recipe card for the step by step instructions.
1. Combine Cake Ingredients
Once you have turned on the oven to 350F and greased 2 x 6″ pans, combine the egg, applesauce, pumpkin peanut butter and oil in a large bowl. Whisk until combined.
Then add the flour and baking soda and stir until just combined.
2. Bake Your Cakes
Divide the mixture between your two greased and lined cake pans and smooth the tops flat.
The recipe is for 2 x 6 inch (15 cm) round pans. If you only have one pan you have two options:
- Bake half the mixture then once cooled remove the cake and bake the other half.
- Or if your tin is reasonably deep (2 inches or more) you can simply pour all the mixture into the tin and bake one cake and cut into half once baked and cooled.
You can also use a larger 8 inch cake pans (20cm), but the cake will not be as tall.
Bake in a moderately hot oven (350F) for 15-20 minutes.
If you are baking in one cake pan you may need 5 minutes longer, but still check it at the 20 minute mark with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.
Cool the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
DO NOT FROST your cakes until they are completely cooled – or the frosting will slide off your cake.
3. Frost Your Cake
Once the cakes are cooled it’s time to layer and frost your puppy birthday cake!
If you baked one cake but still want a tiered cake, carefully slice through the center of the cake to split it into two. I use a cake leveler like this one to make this really easy.
Place one cake on your plate or cake stand and using a spatula spread a thin layer of frosting over the cake.
Then carefully turn the second cake upside down (flat side up) and place it on top of the frosted cake.
Use the remaining frosting to cover the top of the cake.
Tip: If you want to entirely cover the cake in frosting, including the sides, double the frosting mixture.
How To Decorate Your Dog Friendly Cake
Once you have frosted the cake it’s time to decorate it! Some fun options are:
- Candles
- Dog treats
- Dried jerky
- Your pup’s favorite fruit, sliced. Good options are strawberries or blueberries.
Here is my pup staring at me before she could have a slice of the cake topped with some of her favorite jerky!
How To Store Your Doggie Birthday Cake
If you store your unfrosted cakes in an airtight container they should last for around 5 days out of the fridge, and up to a week if stored in the fridge.
You can even wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze the cakes in the freezer for up to 3 months.
However, once frosted you should store the dog birthday cakes in the fridge for up to 3 days – that is assuming there is any left over!
How Much Cake Should My Dog Eat?
Dog’s, like humans, shouldn’t eat a lot of cake. So please don’t feed the entire cake to your dog in one sitting.
I am not a dog nutritionist or a vet, so I cannot give specific advice on how much cake your dog should eat.
My suggestion is to limit your dog to one slice..even when they give you those sad eyes for more.
Can Humans Eat This Birthday Dog Cake?
Yes! It won’t taste as nice as a human birthday cake, but all the ingredients in this birthday cake for dogs are safe for consumption should you or your kids wish to share a slice of birthday cake with your pup.
But obviously if you add dog treats to the top of the cake, you should remove them before eating the cake!
Before You Go
I hope you enjoy making this homemade dog birthday cake! For more for fun ideas to celebrate your dog’s birthday, see this guide.
If this cake is not for you, try these easy banana pupcakes, one of these awesome dog cake recipes or even some super easy frozen dog treats.
And let me know in the comments below how you celebrate your pup’s birthday!
Like this recipe? Don’t forget where you found it! Save it to Pinterest for later.
More Dog Treat Recipes
If you love to include your dog in special occasions and holiday celebrations, try one of these recipes:
Or you can find all our dog food and treats recipes here.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Homemade Dog Birthday Cake
This homemade dog birthday cake is the perfect cake to celebrate your pup's birthday!
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup dog friendly peanut butter (see note 2)
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (see note 3)
- 1 tsp baking soda
Frosting
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F ( 180°C / 160°C Fan) and grease and line 2 6 inch round pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add egg, apple sauce, pumpkin puree, peanut butter and oil. Whisk until combined.
- Add flour and baking soda to the bowl and stir until just combined (don't overmix).
- Divide mixture between the pans, smooth the top flat and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the tins for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk frosting ingredients together until well combined. Store the frosting in the fridge until cake is ready to be iced.
- When ready to serve the cake, place one cake on a plate or cake stand.
- Using a spatula, spread frosting in a thin layer across top of the first cake.
- Turn second cake upside down (so the flat side is facing up) and place it on top of the first cake.
- Use remaining frosting to cover top of the cake.
- Decorate with dog treats and serve!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, which has spices and sweetener added.
- Always check the peanut butter ingredients to ensure it doesn't have Xylitol which is dangerous for dogs.
- You can use regular all purpose flour or oat flour instead of whole wheat flour.
- Frosting will cover the top and middle of a 6 inch layered cake. To cover the sides as well, double the mixture quantities.
- If you only have one deep 6" cake tin, bake as a single cake and slice through the middle to make a layered cake. Cook time may be a little longer. You can even use an 8" tin, but each cake will be thinner and the tiers won't be as tall.
- I am not a dog nutritionist or vet - so please use your own knowledge of your dog's allergies and sensitivities and your own judgement when feeding this cake to your dog.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 169mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Please note that nutrition information is a computer generated estimate and should not be interpreted as a dietitian's advice. Values can vary greatly among brands, amounts and ingredients used.
