This quick and easy Dog Cake Recipe is perfect for celebrating your pup’s birthday or spoiling them, just because!
My friends asked me how I planned to spoil my dogs for National Spoil Your Dog Day, and of course the answer included baking. Like any special day, I think we should celebrate with cake. A puppy approved dog cake!
I think it’s safe to say my furry friend is thrilled. Then again I have a cocker spaniel, so he basically lives, eats, breathes and sleeps for food. I’m sure I’m not the only one with a food motivated pup!
Dog Cake Recipe
This dog cake is packed full of great ingredients, including peanut butter, applesauce and pumpkin. It comes together and bakes up just like any other cake, but is perfect for your pets. The optional frosting is made from peanut butter and yogurt.
I’m often asked if humans can eat this cake as well, and the answer is YES! However, unlike a traditional cake, it lacks sugar, so just know it won’t be as sweet as your pet is.
Since first sharing this easy dog safe cake recipe years ago, thousands of pet parents just like you have made it. You can even see some of the great recreations that readers have made over on Instagram by checking out the #spoileddogcake hashtag! I’m so happy that so many of you have made, and loved, this recipe.
Decorating Your Cake
When I made my cake, I topped it with some store bought dog bones. Because they are minis, which makes them almost like dog cake sprinkles in my book!
That said, you can bake up some dog cookies, pumpkin dog treats, homemade dog treats or peanut butter dog treats to garnish this cake with.
No matter what you top it with, I’m sure your dog will love this homemade dog cake recipe. This recipe makes a single layer, but as you can see I doubled the recipe to make a layer cake.
The frosting is optional, but I really never think of frosting as optional (it’s my favorite part of the cake!) so I recommend it. While you can absolutely share this cake with your dogs, it’s lacking sugar so it won’t be sweet – just so you know.
If your furry friend loves this puppy cake recipe, make sure to check out my Pupcake Dog Cupcakes and Doggy Donuts as well!
Dog Cake Recipe
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see and share a picture of your pup enjoying it! You can email me or tag me on social @lovefromtheoven!
Spoiled Dog Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter Do NOT use a peanut butter with Xylitol (also called birch sugar) as it's dangerous to dogs. Check ingredients!
- 1/2 cup applesauce go with plain, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree make sure you use pure pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie mix
- 1 egg
Frosting
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- Instructions
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
- In a separate bowl mix together vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce and pumpkin puree. Once combined, mix in egg and mix until combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour mixture into an 8" round pan (a square pan can also be used) that has been greased with oil.
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack prior to removing from pan.
- After cooling, add frosting if desired.
Frosting
- Mix Greek yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Spread over cake. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
While this dog cake recipe is SUPER easy, I know that sometimes a cake mix is what we all reach for. Well guess what, I found some awesome cake mixes for dogs. Check these mixes out! They even have grain free options.
If your dog has allergies, as so many of them do, and you need a grain-free dog birthday cake, head over to Table For Two for her Grain-Free Dog Birthday Cake.
Big Bear’s Wife has some Cheesy Tomato Basil Dog Treats. Those sound good enough for me to try!
Brown Eyed Baker has some Frozen Peanut Butter-Yogurt Dog Treats that are sure to be a summer hit.
Tidy Mom has some Homemade Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits that you can cut into any shape you like.
We don’t want to leave our other four legged friends out of the fun! All Roads Lead To The Kitchen has some Homemade Chicken & Cranberry Cat Treats for your feline friends.
If you have a new puppy on the way, I’ve got a great list of new puppy items to help you out!
I hope you find a way to spoil your dogs for #SpoilYourDogDay and maybe have a chance to whip up this delicious cake or try my dog bone recipe. Your furry friends will thank you, I promise!
And remember, Bounty has you covered for cleaning up all those messes that our beloved pets always seem to make. With Bounty, the #QuickerPickerUpper, spills, accidents and other pet messes are no problem.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Bounty. All opinions however are mine and mine alone. This post contains affiliate links.
Rita borg says
Hi, is is bicarbonate of soda or baking powder? Cause the recipe says baking soda.
Christi Johnstone says
Yes, it says baking soda – so you’ll want to use baking soda. For baking powder, I would list baking powder.
Laurie says
My doggie loved her cake! She ate all of it, but next time I might make a bigger batch. How long do you think the cake will be good for? Thinking of making cupcake version so I can have them on hand as treats!
Anonymous says
Thank you for this amazing recipe. All of our clients’s dogs love it.
Ri says
Haven’t tried this just yet unfortunately. Pumpkins aren’t necessarily in season and applesauce isn’t sold so I would have to make a homemade one. Are there any alternatives for these? Or at least for the pumpkin purée?
Christi Johnstone says
We never use fresh pumpkin, just canned pumpkin puree, and I know there are lots of recipes online for applesauce, so you could try one of those.
Babysophen17 says
Yes! I have tried the pup cakes, biscuits and spoiled dog cake and my furbabies was absolutely crazy asking for more..
Thank you so much for this recipes and it was very helpful for like me furmom. It really save money so much. And i will bake it again this coming holidays..
Agata says
Nice looking cake, unfortunately our Jackie Bichon did not want it! He only took a bit and ate the decorative treats. I even tried to give him small pieces with a bit of peanut butter. He ate a few pieces and refused more. Go figure the one time I make food just for him he doesn’t want it 🙁
Christi Johnstone says
Sorry to hear that! While it’s been wildly popular, as someone with a child who is a very picky eater, I know it’s impossible to please everyone… or every dog!
Dee says
Can I substitute regular flour with wheat flour, and will it turn out as good? Any changes I should make to the recipe?
Christi Johnstone says
I haven’t made it with whole wheat, but in general I have luck swapping whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour, for all-purpose flour, in most baking recipes. They are a bit lighter than straight whole wheat flour, so if you use one of those, I really don’t think you’ll need any other modifications.
Linda Pinkel says
Made this birthday cake for my sister’s golden doodle. Marshall is not quite 3 yest but has terminal cancer. My sister is broken hearted and has a bucket list of things for him to do before he gets too bad. Have a few pictures but don’t know how to load them sorry.
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Monica says
What kind of flour ru using? And why baking soda?
Anonymous says
Hi, do you know why my cake didn’t rise?
Christi Johnstone says
This cake doesn’t rise a lot, it’s more dense so that it holds up to dogs a bit better, but I’d suggest checking the expiration date on your baking soda.