Mini Dog Birthday Cake
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What better way to celebrate your pup’s special day than with this Mini Dog Birthday Cake?! Complete with peanut butter and cheese and over 170+ five star ratings, it’s sure to please!
Why you (and your pup!) will love this recipe:
- This recipe has over 170 five star ratings and counting, so you know it’s a good one.
- It’s made with peanut butter, pumpkin and topped with cheese — all of your dog’s favorite foods!
- It’s easy to make, and is shareable too (so multiple dogs can enjoy it).
Table of Contents
This mini dog birthday cake is a huge hit, because dogs deserve cake on their birthday! My baby turns TWO today—like, how? I figured she deserved a dog birthday cake this year. Though my personal favorite cake is my chocolate vegan birthday cake, it’s not exactly dog-friendly, so I figured I should make a separate recipe for Layla.
I’m completely biased, but Layla is simply the best. She keeps me company all day long while I work from home and she brings me so much joy. Plus, she has an adorable underbite and she increases my daily step count thanks to all of the walks we go on.
- If your dog loves this recipe, be sure to check out this pumpkin dog cake, these dog popsicles and my popular homemade dog food recipe.
Dog Cake Ingredients
Like most dogs, Layla’s a big fan of pumpkin and peanut butter, so I knew I needed to include those things. This dog birthday cake is quite similar to a human cake but with less sugar.
All purpose flour – This is my go-to for most of my baked goods. If you’re looking for a grain-free cake recipe, this isn’t it, sorry! I’ve only tested this using all purpose flour. With that said, I’m certain gluten free 1:1 baking flour would be an ok substitute.
Coconut oil – I like using coconut oil in my baked goods, but any kind of oil will work here (i.e. canola oil, avocado oil, etc.).
Honey – Since this is a dog cake, we want to minimize sugar. However, it does need some sugar, and I find honey or maple syrup are both good options.
Pumpkin – Canned pumpkin is what I used, but you could also use cooked and mashed sweet potatoes if you prefer.
Peanut butter – Layla loves peanut butter the most, but almond butter, cashew butter or tahini should all work just fine.
Yogurt – Plain Greek yogurt is what I suggest, as it tends to be thicker than regular yogurt and will create a better icing.
The full ingredient list with quantities can be found below in the recipe card.
How to Make a Dog Birthday Cake
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir the flour and baking soda together and set aside.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, and honey. Then, pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine.
Step 3: Bake. Divide the batter into two greased 4″ cake pans, then bake the cakes for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick is clean. Wait for the cakes to come to room temperature before icing them.
Dog Birthday Cake FAQs
Yes, humans can eat dog cake. However, this cake recipe in particular isn’t super sweet, so it isn’t going to taste like regular cake. But, all of the ingredients are human-grade, so they’re safe for human (and dog) consumption!
Cake can be made up to 48 hours ahead of time, though I suggest waiting to add the icing until you’re ready to give it to your dog. Simple bake the cakes, wait for them to cool then wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Questions? TONS of people have made this recipe, so be sure to read the comments for additional tips!
More pumpkin recipes
Want even more dog cake recipes? This article from Play Bark Run has a great list of dog-friendly cake recipes.
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Mini Dog Birthday Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup honey, preferably raw
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
for the icing:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Grease two 4″ cake pans with a bit of coconut oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda; set aside.
- Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat.
- While coconut oil is melting, whisk egg, honey, pumpkin, applesauce, peanut butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Last, stir in the melted coconut oil.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine.
- Pour batter evenly into the two pans, pounding them on the countertop a few times to the batter lays flat. Place the cake pans on a baking sheet and the baking sheet in the oven.
- Bake cakes for 20-30 minutes**, or until a toothpick comes out clean or mostly clean.
- Let the cakes sit in the pans for 10 minutes before running a knife along the edges and flipping them over onto a cooling rack. Wait until cakes are completely cool before icing.
for the icing:
- Stir yogurt and peanut butter together
assembly:
- Slice the tops of both cakes off (the "dome" part) and then lay the cut edges together, placing a bit of icing in between. Top the cake with additional icing. Additionally, if you want to cover the entire cake with icing (rather than just the top and middle), just double the icing ingredients.
- Top the cake with cheese to make your pup’s special day that much better!
Notes
Nutrition
This was was exactly what I was looking for, for our pups 1st birthday. This was super easy and a HUGE hit. I didn’t have a 4 inch baking dish and I didn’t want to make one 8 inch cake so I used my mini loaf pan (8 loaves). This recipe made 5 mini loaves. I cooked for about 20 minutes and they came out perfect! Our other dog turns 3 in July and I am definitely making for him, although this is easy enough to make any time!
I’m so happy the cake was a hit!
Made this for my dog’s 12th birthday. Made it in a loaf pan. Turned out great! She enjoyed licking the beaters! Can’t wait for her to try the finished product!
I used wheat flour. Added a touch of cinnamon. Used a springform pan. Turned out great. Shiva gobbled it up.
Hi!
I will be making your cake recipe for my dog’s birthday this week and xan’t wait but the reason I’m commenting is because our dogs are TWINS. My pup is identical! We have no idea what breed(s) she is though…it has always been a mystery. Do you know what breed your Layla is? Thank you for your time 🙂
No way! We did one of those dog DNA tests and apparently she’s a mix of beagle/boxer/hound/dachshund, and I also think she might have some pit in her. Definitely tag a photo of the dog cake on Instagram so I can see your pup!
My boy turned 10 yesterday. I made this cake for him and it was so good that I got a bite too ! I put some whipped cream on my portion though.. I substituted coconut oil for olive oil ( I thought I had , but i was out) and accidentally I poured a bit of almond extract, but both are safe for dogs and my boy has an iron stomach. Although, I didn’t let him eat the entire thing at once because I wanted to see how he reacted to it since it was night and I didn’t want to open my window in the middle of the night. LOL. ! But he was completely fine, he got another piece this morning and will have the rest tonight , thank you. !! Wish I can post a picture. My boy is a big GS ❤
Hi, would love your advice if I can use coconut flour for this? Thanks!
Hi! I haven’t tested this cake with any other flours, and coconut flour is very different than all purpose so I don’t think it would work. You could try using gluten free 1:1 baking flour if you want to make this GF.
My dog loved IT !!! My daughter loved it too 😀. Easy to make and so much fun to see my 1 y old puppy gobble it . It did not upset his stomach at all !
Hi! Just a word of warning – most g/f flour mixes are NOT suitable for dogs because they contain xanthum gum, which is toxic to our furry friends!
is there any alternative to egg???
Hi! You could probably sub 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp water), or I have another dog cake recipe that doesn’t have eggs if you want to try it: https://thealmondeater.com/vegan-pumpkin-dog-cake-for-people-too/
my darling grace will be 18 and really deserves her own yummy cake. i’m sure she will share with her sister, brother, and cousins! my question is, can i use one regular cake pan?
thanks
Hi! Yes — I believe you can use 1 8″ or 9″ cake pan instead. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi everyone!
I made with gluten free flour! Added 5 minutes to the baking time and it was perfect! Gone in a flash. Great recipe.
Thanks for this info Lisa!