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9 Vet-Approved Dog Cake Recipes Your Dog Will Love

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By Dr. Karyn Kanowski

dog cupcake recipes birthday

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Dr. Karyn Kanowski

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Paws Up if You Love Cake! Now hands up if you’re guilty of sharing your cake with your favorite furry friend. We’ve all been there—they don’t call them “puppy dog eyes” for nothing. Cake is not exactly on the list of healthy foods for humans or for dogs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t indulge once in a while, and that goes for our dogs as well. So, what better way to score major points with your canine companion than with a cake that is actually created for them?

The following recipes are made up of dog-safe ingredients, so you know that you can offer up a slice to your favorite companion without worrying about toxins. But just like for humans, cake should not be a regular food item, and although they might be delicious (to your dog), they must only be given in moderation.

So, let’s take a look at some amazing canine cake recipes below.

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The 9 Vet-Approved Dog Cake Recipes

1. 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cake

Let’s start with something nice and easy. This recipe is a great one to get the kids involved with too, and comes from the page of busy little kiddies.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cake

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cake

Let’s start with something nice and easy. This recipe is a great one to get the kids involved with too, and comes from the page of busy little kiddies.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cool 1 hour

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Large Egg
  • 1/3 cup Natural Peanut Butter no added sugar, no added oil
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C)
  • In a bowl, whisk the eggs, peanut butter, and shredded carrots. Add baking powder now if used.
  • Pour the batter into the pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 15-22 minutes until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Bring water to a boil, add the peeled potatoes cut into large cubes and the cauliflower florets, and cook for about 12 minutes until fork tender.
  • Drain the vegetables over a sieve and wait until fully cooled down before making the dog frosting.

Frosting

  • Mash 1 medium peeled potato with 3–4 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt.
  • Cut the cake in half lengthwise with a sharp knife when it has cooled down.
  • Spread half of the frosting on the first layer, add the second cake layer, and add the remaining frosting on top.Use a spoon to spread the frosting.
  • For that final touch, grate some carrot over the top—your dog won’t care, but it will look fabulous!

Notes

This cake should not be eaten entirely by one dog. It should make 3 or 4 servings, depending on the dog’s size. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

2. Beef and Carrot Cake

HEP_Dob Cake Recipes_The Dog Bakery
Image By: The Dog Bakery

This is another nice and simple recipe, brought to us from The Dog Bakery.

Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey
  • ½ cup grated/shredded carrots
  • 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2, 4-inch cake pans
  • Frosting: use the recipe from above
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350o
  2. Combine all ingredients, except for the yogurt or mashed potatoes, together in a mixing bowl. It’s best to use your hands. Just get in there and mash everything together really well.
  3. Pat the mixture into your cake pans and bake for 30 minutes. The two cakes will form a top and bottom layer.
  4. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the baking pans and transfer to a serving plate or platter, then cool for another 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Spread the bottom layer with a thick layer of the mashed potato frosting.
  6. Place the top layer on the cake.
  7. Frost the top with another thick layer of yogurt or mashed potatoes.

This recipe should give around 4 to 8 servings, depending on the size of the dog, and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.


3. Dozer’s Birthday Cake

HEP_Dog Cake Recipes_Recipetineats
Image By: recipetineats.com

This one is perfect for that special occasion and was created for a delightful dog, by the name of Dozer, for his birthday.

Ingredients
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup peanut butter (spread or pure)
  • ¼ cup oil (canola, coconut)
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened oat milk (or water)
  • ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup (or apple sauce or skip it)
  • 2 ½ cups shredded carrot (2 large)
  • 2 cups whole wheat / wholemeal flour (or white flour)
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
Frosting:
  • 600–700g / 1.2–1.4 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
  • ¾–1 cup yogurt (plain unsweetened) or water
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350o
  2. Grease and line the base of 8-inch cake pans.
  3. Whisk together eggs, peanut butter, oil, honey, and milk (little peanut butter lumps OK).
  4. Stir in carrots. Then add flour and baking soda, and stir until just combined (over mixing = hard cake = sad birthday pooch).
  5. Divide batter between the cake pans, then spread and smooth the surface.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool on racks. Frost per below.
Doggie Fluffy Frosting:
  1. Boil, steam, or microwave the potato until very soft.
  2. Whip potato and yogurt with an electric beater until it’s as fluffy and smooth as possible—about 90 seconds on medium speed.
  3. Use water as needed to loosen the frosting to a soft, spreadable consistency (like human buttercream frosting!). Use while warm (it sets when it cools).
  4. Spread ¼ cup frosting on one cake.
  5. Top with other cake. Frost tops and sides with remaining frosting, reserving some to pipe decorations if desired (¾ cup frosting).

4. Healthy Zucchini Loaf

HEP_Dog Cake Recipes_Cookie & Kate
Image By: Cookiesandkate.com

This recipe has been slightly modified from the original by Cookie & Kate, but the best part is that it can be enjoyed by you and your pup!

Ingredients
  • Optional: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw pecans
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup honey or applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup unsweetened oat milk or water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract*
  • ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 1½ cups grated zucchini (you’ll need 1 small-to-medium zucchini, about 7 ounces—gently squeeze out excess moisture over the sink before stirring it into the batter)
  • 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

*In undiluted form, vanilla extract is toxic to dogs due to its high alcohol content. The amount contained in this recipe is safe, and cooking denatures the alcohol.

Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. If you’ll be toasting the nuts, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
  2. Toast the nuts: Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.
  4. Add the milk, baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are OK! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using.
  5. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices.
  6. This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. We like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave.

5. NOT Chocolate Cake

HEP_Dog Cake Recipes_Claire K Creations
Image Credit: Clairekcreations.com

This carob cake is the closest thing your dog can get to a safe chocolate cake, and we have Claire & Busta to thank for it. And just like the delicious zucchini loaf, this is something that you could definitely partake in as well—if your dog will share, that is! And remember, never feed your dog chocolate!

Ingredients
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • ¼ cup carob chips
Instructions:
  1. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the batter into a tin and bake at 320oF (160oC) fan-forced for 40 to 45 minutes.
  3. Ice the cake with melted carob combined with cream cheese.

6. Healthy Carrot Muffins

HEP_Dog Cake Recipes_Cookies & Kate
Image Credit: cookiesandkate.com

This is another great recipe from Cookie & Kate that has been slightly modified so it can be enjoyed by you and your dog!

Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups peeled and grated carrots* (from ¾ pound carrots—about 3 large or up to 6 small/medium)
  • ½ cup roughly chopped pecans (optional)
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup or honey
  • 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425o If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Blend well with a whisk. Add the grated carrots and chopped pecans to the other ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and maple syrup and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt and vanilla and mix well. If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30-second bursts.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are OK). Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Bake muffins for 13 to 16 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  5. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.

7. Beetroot Carob Cake

Beetroot
Image Credit: JumpStory

This is one seriously underrated vegetable that adds depth and moisture to any cake recipe. It’s delicious when paired with chocolate, but for this recipe, we’re using a dog-safe option: carob. And once again, this delicious recipe is also human-approved, adapted from Riverford Organic Farmers.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup organic carob powder
  • 100 grams (3.5 ounces) beetroot, grated—vacuum sealed or canned, not fresh
  • 75 milliliters (2.5 fluid ounces) coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 320°F.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir in the carob powder, then add the grated beetroot and vanilla.
  3. Beat the oil and eggs together and add to the bowl. Combine with either a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.
  4. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 8-inch springform cake tin and bake in the oven for 1 to 1¼ hours, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Beetroot can turn your dog’s urine pink, and their poop a dark maroon, so don’t panic if this happens after eating this cake! (Do panic if it happens and they haven’t eaten beetroot.)

A Note on Frosting

All of these cakes can be served without frosting, even those that include it in the recipe, so if you want to avoid extra calories (and work!) you can always leave the frosting off.

But if you want to add an extra layer of decadence, here are a couple of extra doggy frosting options for you to try, care of the Cake Decorist:


8. Greek Yogurt Icing

Greek yogurt in a ceramic bowl with spoons on wooden background
Image By: mama_mia, Shutterstock

A great alternative to cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients
  • ½ cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup of cornstarch
  • 2 or 3 teaspoons of low-fat or 2% milk, or unsweetened oat milk
Instructions:
  1. Combine yogurt and cornstarch, whisking until the mixture is smooth.
  2. Add a bit of milk at a time, until you reach the desired consistency for piping or spreading.
  3. Use it right away to decorate the cake.

9. Carob Frosting

Carob pods and carob powder
Image Credit: Ozgur Senergin, Shutterstock

A dog-safe alternative to chocolate frosting.

Ingredients
  • ½ cup carob powder
  • ½ cup maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Instructions:
  • Mix all the ingredients together until everything is smooth. If it is too soft, add a bit of cornstarch. If it is too thick, some water. This depends on the weather where you are making it and the humidity in the air.

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Conclusion

These recipes are all mouth-wateringly good, and most of them can be enjoyed by you and your dog—what a win!

It is really important to remember that cake is not exactly good for your canine companion, and judgment must be used when offering your pup a slice. Keep in mind that the serving size on all these recipes for an average human is 1 slice or 1 muffin. Depending on the size of your dog, this means that they should have no more than ¼ to ½ of a serving size, no more than once per week.

Most of these cakes can be frozen, so there’s no rush to eat them all at once. You really can have your cake and eat it too!

If today is cake day, make sure you reduce your dog’s meal size to accommodate the extra calories and always check with your vet before offering your dog something new.

These recipes are all safe for canine consumption, but if your dog has any food sensitivities or health conditions, speak to your vet before attempting them.


Featured Image Credit: Ruth Black, Shutterstock

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