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This Pumpkin Dog Cake can be enjoyed by dogs and people alike! It’s lightly sweetened and dairy free, so you both can enjoy this treat on your dog’s special day.
I first created this dog cake recipe as a spin-off to the very popular mini dog birthday cake recipe. I've included a sentimental note to my dog below, along with tips and tricks on how to make this cake perfectly every time!
Ohhhh Layla—HOW are you already 7 years old? Besides telling you how great and cute and perfect you are, I also want to thank you.
Thank you for giving me a minimum of 25 kisses every day. I don’t necessarily need them but…. jk I do need them.
With that said, thank you for being as needy as I am. I’m glad we’re almost always on the same page.
Thank you for being SO friendly—your friendliness reminds me that it’s ok to talk to strangers, even if it’s only about you.
Thank you for being my companion when Miguel’s traveling, and basically every other day when I’m by myself. You’re the best (yet also the worst) assistant/co-worker.
Thank you for your energy and therefore forcing me to take you on two walks every single day. It helps me to get out of the house and up my steps for the day.
Thank you for helping me with the dishes. Because of you, I only have to kind of rinse off the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.
Thank you for your butt wiggles every time I walk through the door and for making me laugh every single day.
And last, thank you for being so patient during this photo shoot, which I’m more than aware you hated every second of. You are the best.
OH GOD I can’t handle aging. I mean, I’m ok with aging myself (ish), but I can’t handle my baby girl turning SEVEN YEARS OLD. Last year’s dog birthday cake continues to be one of the most popular posts on the blog, which just goes to show how important dogs are to everyone.
Recipe features
- This cake is for dogs and people -- it's not too sweet, but just sweet enough that you and your pup can enjoy this cake together. Pretty adorable, right?
- It's made with pumpkin, sweetened with maple syrup and topped with a simple Greek yogurt "frosting"
- It can be made in three 4" cake pans or one 6" cake pan and can easily be shared!
Ingredient notes
- Flour - The recipe calls for all purpose flour, so the only substitution I'd recommend is gluten free 1:1 all purpose flour.
- Oil - I always use coconut oil in baking, but ANY oil should work in this recipe. The coconut oil does add a little sweetness to the cake, which is why it's my first choice.
- Milk - I used almond milk, but you can use any kind of milk.
- Pumpkin - No substitutions (this is a pumpkin dog cake after all), but make sure you're using canned pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix.
- Maple syrup - Can use honey if you prefer; this is the only sugar in the recipe, so you definitely need to use it if you want this cake to be people-friendly.
- Vinegar - Again, I tend to opt for apple cider vinegar in baking recipes, but regular white vinegar should work too.
- Yogurt - Plain Greek yogurt, or your favorite dairy-free yogurt will work. If you really want to make this cake delicious, you could cover half of it in yogurt for your pup, and half of it in a delicious buttercream icing for the humans.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Whisk wet ingredients. First, melt coconut oil and set it aside; allow it to come to room temperature before using it. Whisk milk, pumpkin, syrup, and vinegar together, then add in the cooled coconut oil.
Step 2: Stir dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Then, pour the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine -- it's ok if the batter is a little lumpy!
Step 3: Bake. Grease three 4" or one 6" round cake pan(s), then distribute the batter. If you're using 4" pans, bake the cake for 27-32 minutes, and if you're using a 6" pan, bake it for closer to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Wait for the cake to cool before adding the icing.
Step 4: Make the icing. Simply whisk the yogurt and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Optional: slice the "dome" part of the cake off to create a flat top, then add the icing on top and smooth it out. Slice and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- Icing options:
- 1. Make the icing as-is listed in the recipe below
- 2. Cover HALF the cake in the Greek yogurt frosting, and the other half in a delicious buttercream for the humans
- 3. Add 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter to the frosting!
- I always line my cake pan(s) with parchment paper before adding the batter to ensure the batter doesn't stick. Learn more about how to line any size cake pan here.
- If you're using 4" cake pans, place them on top of a baking sheet before baking, which will prevent any accidental spillage.
Is this cake actually good tasting for humans?
Yes, I pinky promise it is! Again, you can follow the alternative icing options in the "tips and tricks" section if you want to make it even more delicious, but it's pretty good on it's own. It tastes like a regular cake, but not as sweet.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Sure can! Just follow the recipe and allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Then, wrap the cake [layers] individually in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours until you're ready to ice and serve.
Enjoy this cake with your pup on their special day!
More popular cake recipes (for humans only)
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rating below, and even tag me @thealmondeater on Instagram!
Pumpkin Dog Cake (for people too!)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
for the frosting:
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt or dairy free
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 4" cake pans or one 6" cake pan with coconut oil and line with parchment rounds; set aside.
- Melt coconut oil and then set it aside, allowing it to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, whisk the milk, pumpkin, syrup, and vinegar together, then add the cooled coconut oil.
- In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, then use a rubber spatula or hand mixer to combine; it's ok if the batter is a little lumpy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan(s), pounding on the counter a few times so the batter evens out.
- Place pans into the oven and bake; 4" cake pan bake time: 27-32 minutes; 6" cake pan bake time: 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. NOTE: if you're using 4" cake pans, it's easier to place them on top of a baking sheet so they don't accidentally spill.
- Leave cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a cooling rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely before icing them.
- For the icing, stir yogurt and syrup together. Once cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the tops of the cake off, and then ice the cake and layer it (alternatively, you can keep the layers separate if you want to have one layer for you, one for your pet and the third for someone else).
- Optional: top cake with your dogs favorite foods, aka cheese, peanut butter or in my case, brussels sprouts. Enjoy this cake with your pup on their special day!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in September 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in November 2021.
Sylvi says
Can we use another type of oil?
Erin says
Yes, avocado oil works well too.
monica says
Easy to make it!!! It's Vegan , NO animals harmed . And taste so good!!!
Erin says
Thanks for the kind review, Monica!
Mari says
This recipe is amazing. Just the right ingredients for my pup with allergies as well as everyone else. It’s hard to find recipes that both adults, baby, and pups can eat but this is a new favorite. Tasted great, we all loved it!
Emily Ruane says
I dont have a 6 inch pan what substitute can i use?
Erin says
Hi! A regular round 9" or 10" cake pan should work too -- you may just need to bake for a bit longer.
Julie says
I am currently in the process of baking this, followed the recipe exactly, except for the Almond milk, (I used regular), and used the 6" pan and after 40 minutes at 350 degrees, the top is brown and the middle is not done. I am adding a few minutes more at a time, hoping the top doesn't burn, otherwise, it was simple to put together!
Nick says
Why are you using regular milk for a dog
Kelly, Ziggy, and Miley says
I try a new cake every year for my pups, and I’m looking forward to trying this one! If they don’t plan on sharing with humans, can I afford to cut back on the maple syrup? Or does it serve another purpose other than sweetness? Thank you!
Erin says
Great question! Yes, the maple syrup is mostly to make the cake more human-friendly, so if you're not planning on eating any of it, you could definitely cut back to 1/4 cup. If you're wanting to use less than that, I'd increase the amount of milk you use to make sure the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is correct. Let me know how it turns out!
Jackie says
This was a hit at the doggy birthday party! Both dogs inhaled their slices!
Erin says
This makes me so happy -- so glad they liked the cake!
Flor says
This was truly amazing! Made them into cupcakes for a dog birthday party and they were a hit with all the humans and especially the dogs! I made them without the frosting as it would have been harder to transport them. The birthday pup ate 2, and I was told he usually doesn't like any sweets or baked goods. Will definitely save this recipe for later!
Alissa says
Wow this was SO good!! Made this for my dog Moose’s birthday (8 years old!!) I used whole wheat flour but otherwise followed the recipe- perfect and so delicious for humans too!
Erin says
That's great to hear -- happy birthday Moose!
Steph says
We made for both of our dogs on holiday, and they both loved it - actually, we all had a piece and loved it! Easy and quick too - I also didn’t have 3 4” rounds, but baked it in a 8” round and it came out perfect.
Erin says
That's amazing! Thanks for your comment.
Taylor says
Followed the directions exactly (except i did almond flour) and my cake didnt even bake.....it was still sooo soupy and i even cooked it longer. Today was suppose to be my dogs 5th birthday and the first time weve had pups over for a bday party. Im bummed out, i wanted to try something new and i feel like ive let my dog down.
Erin says
Hi Taylor -- I'm so sorry the cake didn't turn out! I recently made this (again) for my pup and it turned out ok (sometimes I type something wrong in the recipe so I had to double check), though I do recommend using all purpose flour instead of almond flour, as the measurements for almond flour are typically different and I'm not a pro at baking gluten free.
Ramya says
Wow, The cake is looking delicious, and Layla is very very cute, Happy Birthday Layla, i will try this cake for my puppy also.
Rebecca says
Just wanted to say the cake is awesome! If anyone is interested I didn't have any vegan yogurt on hand so I made my own frosting as follows: 1/3 cup vegan sour cream, 1/3 cup peanut butter & 1/4 cup maple syrup. It's delicious if you want to try something different 🙂
N says
OMG Layla is too adorable <3 I can't imagine my dogs sitting this patiently, posing for pics! She's a total sweetheart 🙂 Stay blessed all of you <3
Alica says
I should try with my puppy, Thanks For sharing!
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
This is TOO cute! I'll need to make this cake for my dog! 🙂 Layla is super adorable!
Erin says
Thanks so much Marsha! 🙂
Alicia @bridges Through life says
What adorable photos!! This cake sounds delicious. I need to get some small cake pans to make mini cakes.
Erin says
Thanks Alicia! I found mine at Target and they've really come in handy.
jess larson | plays well with butter says
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAYLA GIRL!!!!!! (erin, this post is everything! p turns 1 in october and i know what we're going to be doing...😍) xo
Erin says
Ahhh you HAVE to make PBR a cake!
Lucia Wright says
Oh my word, she is too freaking cute. Happy birthday, Layla!!
Erin says
Thank you!! 🙂