HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, MARGOT POLO! This sweet girl has always been such an easy going and tame puppy. It was easy to forget we adopted her at 5 months instead of 5 years! She turned 1 year old on June 25, and to celebrate her first trip around the sun, we threw a a pool paw-rty in the backyard. I also decided to bake this easy dog friendly carrot cake in honor of her birthday, and I am so thrilled with out it turned out!
First of all, this dog friendly cake recipe is so easy to make. It uses fresh carrots, a little hint of spice, and cream cheese frosting to create a beautiful and delicious birthday treat. I was a little extra and purchased some cute dog biscuits for extra decoration, like these ones. The end result looked pretty fancy, but it came together so easily! If you are looking for a simple, healthy, but still really fun birthday cake for your dog, this recipe is your winner.
Ingredients for a Dog Friendly Cake
If you are familiar with my dog-friendly recipes, you know that it is really important to me to make sure every ingredient is not just dog safe, but is actually beneficial for dogs to eat. Instead of oil which is high in calories and can cause loose stools, I opted for pumpkin puree and applesauce. This creates a dense, moist cake that is full of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Additionally, carrots make a nutritious, crunchy treat for dogs! They are high in soluble fiber and Vitamin A, which supports a healthy immune system. Interestingly, the nutrients in carrots aren’t easily accessible to dogs when fed raw due to a thin wall of cellulose that protects each cell. That’s why you’ll often find undigested pieces of carrots in your dog’s poop if you feed them raw. Lightly cooking them– like baking them in a cake, for example 😉 — helps break down that barrier so your dog can absorb all the good stuff!
Lastly, I chose to use a cream cheese frosting for this dog cake recipe, which is definitely on the rich side! If your dog can’t handle something this rich, or if they have a dairy allergy, you can used mashed bananas instead. Check out this recipe for an example!
Dog Friendly Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 8 inch round cake pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup blackstrap molasses
- ⅓ cup plain unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 package neufchâtel cheese, softened
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease your 8 inch round cake pan. I used a drizzle of vegetable oil and smeared it around with my fingers.
- In a bowl, beat the egg, peanut butter, molasses, applesauce, and pumpkin puree together until combined.
- Stir in carrots.
- Add flour and sprinkle in baking soda and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
- Spoon batter into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For best frosting results, wrap the cake tightly in aluminum foil and stick in the fridge overnight.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- When you are ready to frost your cake, beat together the cream cheese and applesauce until smooth. Frost the top and sides of the cake. I used a butter knife o spread the icing, but you could also pipe it on if you are real profesh.
- If you are doing a two-tiered cake, frost the tops of both cakes and stack them. Proceed to frost as normal.
- Decorate your cake with dog friendly treats. We used bone shaped dog biscuits, but you could also do bully stick "candles" or use peanut butter in an icing bag to write a birthday message to your dog.
Storage
- A frosted leftover cake can store well in the fridge for at least 1 week. Dogs don't mind if it dries out a little or the icing looks a little soggy.Alternatively, you can freeze an unfrosted cake for up to 2 months.
Notes
5 Responses
Going to try and make this for my girls’ birthdays in September! It looks so good even I want to eat it!
Confession: I tried some and it was REALLY good! It’s like a very dense spice cake, but not overly sweet. It would actually pair really well with coffee or tea!