The easiest and super cute dog birthday cake recipe for your favorite canine companion. We promise your pup will love this healthy dog cake! This recipe is naturally gluten-free and has a dairy-free option.
Making the cake for Sandy Bandana's 9th Birthday!
INGREDIENTS
The most important thing when picking a dog cake recipe is ensuring it has healthy dog-safe ingredients. Don't forget that the frosting and decorations should be dog safe as well. For the recipe you will need the following simple ingredients:
Oat Flour - We used oat flour because it is naturally gluten-free and easy to make at home from rolled oats if you don't want to buy oat flour. If you are concerned about cross-contamination with gluten make sure the oats are certified gluten-free.
Baking Powder - Just a little bit of a leavening agent to give the cake a bit of a rise.
Applesauce - Apples are great for dogs so we used unsweetened applesauce to moisten this cake. Definitely check your label for no added sugar. You can also substitute canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree.
Banana - Another healthy fruit for your dog. This cake recipe calls for one mashed banana. Ripe bananas are easier to mash but any banana will do, simply place a peeled unripe banana in the microwave for 15-25 seconds, then mash.
Peanut Butter - You will need peanut butter for both the cake and the frosting. Look for a peanut butter that only has one ingredient: peanuts. Do not substitute almond butter. Almond butter may cause intestinal distress in your dog, so I don't think it is worth the risk. And make sure your peanut butter is free of any artificial sweeteners. Stay away from peanut butters that contain Xylitol, this is toxic to dogs.
Egg - Just one egg is enough to hold the cake together.
Coconut Oil - Another simple ingredient to hold the cake together and moisten it with a little fat. You could also substitute high-quality vegetable oil. Either way, oils help give your dog a shiny coat.
Greek Yogurt - The yogurt is great for dogs because it has healthy fats and is loaded with probiotics. While you can substitute heavy cream that has been whipped the yogurt holds up better in the fridge. Most dogs can tolerate dairy just fine. If your dog is lactose intolerant you can substitute another mashed banana or pumpkin puree, note that it will be harder to decorate the cake beyond a typical frosting.
THE CAKE RECIPE - INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
makes 1x 8" round cake layer, multiply by 3 for a 3-layer cake
1⅓ cups oat flour, see below how to make homemade oat flour using old fashion oats, rolled or steel cut
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup applesauce unsweetened
¼ cup peanut butter, all natural with no added sugar
1 banana, very ripe mashed
1 egg beaten
⅛ cup coconut oil melted, plus more for pan
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE OAT FLOUR
The rolled oat to oat flour ratio is 1:1 meaning one cup of rolled oats will yield approximately 1 cup of oat flour. For this recipe, you will need 1 ⅓ cups of oats. Place oats in a food processor or a blender and pulse the oats until they are ground into a powder-like consistency. This process should take about 60 to 90 seconds. Stop and stir to ensure that all the oats have been finely ground.
THE CAKE RECIPE - METHOD
Preheat oven to 350° F degrees. Brush ⅛ cup melted coconut oil in an 8-inch pan to prevent sticking. We also like to line the cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom - this ensure the cake comes out of the pan effortlessly.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together all cake ingredients until batter is smooth. Pour batter into the greased pan and smooth out.
Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Rest for 10 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack. Allow the cake to completely cool before frosting.
This cake can be made in any shape you'd like! We've kept it as an 8" round and used a 5" heart-shaped cookie cutter to make a heart-shaped cake.
You can make this cake ahead of time - the cake will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator, covered, or freeze in a freezer tiptop bag for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in fridge for 1 day.
We used pumpkin puree for the top and bottom layers and apple sauce for the middle layer.
THE FROSTING RECIPE - INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
frosts 1x 8" round cake layer, multiply by 3 for a 3-layer cake
½ cup greek yogurt
¼ cup peanut butter all natural with no added sugar, more for a more firm frosting
1 tablespoon natural food "coloring", adjust the amount for desired color - beet juice powder for red and pink, matcha powder for green, spirulina powder for blue, turmeric for yellow
candles and any other decorations you'd like!
THE FROSTING RECIPE - METHOD
While the cake is baking, combine yogurt and peanut butter in a small blender cup and blend.
Once cooled, you can frost the top of the cake. Frost in between each layer and on top.
Want to make your frosting a color? See below how to make naturally colored frosting.
We used Wilton Piping Tip #5 to decorate the top of the cake with dots.
A frosted cake will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator, covered.
NATURAL FOOD COLORING FOR DOGS
Always check with your veterinarian before feeding your dog a new ingredient.
Beet juice powder for red and pink natural food coloring - Beets are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, iron, manganese, potassium, and minerals good for a dog's digestion, metabolism, and immune system.
Matcha powder for green natural food coloring - Matcha can help improve the immunity of dogs because of its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. But matcha contains caffeine; if dogs ingest too much matcha, they are at high risk of caffeine poisoning, use matcha-colored frosting sparingly.
Spirulina powder for blue natural food coloring - Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae known for its high levels of protein and antioxidants. It is also a good source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, essential for supporting a dog's nerve function and regulating metabolism. Spirulina is packed with iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, essential for various organ functions in dogs. With anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, spirulina can potentially help with cancer therapy and boost a dog's immune system function. Spirulina also has anti-allergy properties by increasing the antibodies that fight viruses, bacteria, and toxins. It acts as an anti-histamine and anti-allergen, benefiting dogs with hot spots, sore paws, and skin allergies.
Turmeric for yellow natural food coloring - Turmeric contains curcumin, which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. This can help reduce joint pain and swelling, making it a good option for dogs with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions. The powerful antioxidants in turmeric help protect a dog's cells from damage caused by disease-causing free radicals. Turmeric can help prevent cancer in dogs. Turmeric can help to improve canine digestive health by reducing inflammation in the gut. This can help to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome or colitis in dogs.
Happy birthday to your pup!
Tag us on Instagram if you make this recipe.
Fēst, pronounced 'feast', is a collective of Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Sommeliers who teach guided, interactive and completely customizable classes to cooking-curious people of all skill levels around the world.