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Home Dog treat recipes

Dog Cake recipe for Dozer’s birthday!

By:Nagi
Published:29 Apr '19Updated:26 Apr '23
400 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

A dog cake recipe to celebrate Dozer’s birthday!! A 2 layer cake frosted with fluffy “buttercream”  ….. but it’s made with wholesome pooch friendly ingredients!

Aren’t you just dying to know how I made that frosting?? 😜

(Looking for Pupcakes? Here it is!)

Dozer the golden retriever looking at his Dog cake recipe

Dog cake for Dozer’s birthday!

“That frosting tastes a bit odd,” grumbled the husband of Dozer’s boarder. Can you just imagine the pleasure she got out of telling him he’d just eaten a DOG cake??😂

“Serves him right for helping himself to anything that looks tasty” she smirked when she told me. I was laughing so hard at the vision, I actually snorted.

Who can blame him?? The whole point of creating this cake was to make it look like a real birthday cake piled high with fluffy buttercream frosting – but with dog friendly ingredients.

So it tastes nothing like what it looks like – it’s a total spin out!!

Close of photo of slice of dog birthday cake

OK OK I know you’re busting to know how I made the cake look so “real” so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer! Here’s the rundown:

  1. Healthy dog sponge cake – it’s like a very healthy carrot cake, very low fat, sugar free

  2. Fluffy whipped potato “frosting” – looks just like buttercream, but it’s pooch friendly! While we humans wouldn’t put potato frosting on a cake, our pooches won’t complain!😂 Don’t fall for pretty looking cakes piled high with cream cheese or other high fat or high dairy frosting. Bad for dogs!


🐾 Healthy dog sponge cake🐾

This is a healthy dog friendly version of carrot cake. It’s a moist sponge that’s very simple to make – dump and mix job – and all the ingredients are either good for dogs, or fine for dogs to eat in moderation. I’ve provided some nutrition commentary on each ingredient in the recipe below.

(PS I hope you didn’t miss that I said this is a moist sponge. Just because it’s a dog cake, doesn’t mean we should let our standards slip! 😂)

What goes in dog cake recipe

Baked dog cake for 2 layer dog birthday cake

🐾 Dog friendly fluffy frosting 🐾

Made with fluffy whipped mashed potato! OK, so it’s not something you’d put on a cake for humans – but this is for dogs remember!

I wanted a frosting that was dog friendly that looked just like vanilla buttercream so I could use it for sandwiching layers, frosting and piping. Most dog cake frosting recipes I found use yogurt and peanut butter which is too soft and also, too much of either of those ingredients is not good for dogs.

Solution: whipped mashed potato!! 🤣 I got the idea from Meatloaf Cupcakes that I shared years ago where I piped on mashed potato swirls.

I use yogurt to give it a creamy soft “buttercream frosting” consistency because yogurt has probiotics in it which is good for dogs. But water works just as well!

Dog cake frosting

Look how well it works as frosting for the cake! It’s looks almost impossibly similar to real buttercream frosting!

How to make dog birthday cake

🎉Dozer’s birthday party!🎉

A cake this good (and big 😳) is made to be shared. And what better way to share it than at an impromptu birthday party down at the beach??

It was, as one might expect, total chaos, and my vision of an adorable photo of all the dogs wearing party hats sitting patiently behind the cake just didn’t happen. (That was total wishful thinking on my part 😂)

Dozer birthday party-Bayview-April 2019

Dozer birthday party-Bayview-April 2019

Hats were swiped off within seconds of putting them on – hence why you only see photos of 1 dog at a time wearing a hat 😂, the swarm of wet, sandy golden retrievers around the cake was such a hazard at one point I actually had to pick the cake up and run away!

Dozer birthday party-Bayview-April 2019

As for the birthday boy, the cheeky bugger tried to get stuck into the cake before it was even served!!

Dozer birthday party - dog cake - Bayview

But suffice to say, it was his idea of a perfect birthday. Beach, all his best mates, a big fat cake. What more can a dog ask for??

Actually, the only thing different between this day and every other day in Dozer’s life was the presence of cake. 😂

Happy birthday Dozer! 🎊🎉 Another year older, though not wiser. But I wouldn’t change a thing about you – I love you just the way you are! ~ Nagi x

Dozer birthday party-Bayview-April 2019

Dog cake recipe - close up of dog birthday cake with doggie friendly frosting

Dozer eating dog birthday cake

Watch how to make it

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dog birthday cake for Dozer

Dog cake recipe - with dog friendly fluffy frosting!

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Total: 40 minutes mins
Dog Treats
Dog Food
5 from 103 votes
Servings20 - 30 dogs
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 426
Recipe video above. A dog cake with "frosting" that looks so impossibly real, it's been mistakenly eaten by unsuspecting people on many occasions! Made with dog friendly ingredients with an irresistible peanut butter smell. Fine for humans to consume - but it's a bit odd tasting for our palette!

Ingredients

Dog birthday cake:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter (spread or pure)
  • 1/4 cup oil (canola, vegetable)
  • 2/3 cup milk (or water)
  • 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup (or apple sauce or skip it)
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded carrot (2 large)
  • 2 cups whole wheat / wholemeal flour (or white flour)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Dog Friendly Fluffy Frosting (Whipped Potato Yogurt):

  • 600 - 700g / 1.2 - 1.4lb potatoes , peeled, cut into chunks
  • 3/4 - 1 cup yogurt (plain unsweetened) or water

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160C fan).
  • Grease and line the base of 2 x 20cm/8" cake pans.
  • Whisk together eggs, peanut butter, oil, honey and milk (little peanut butter lumps ok).
  • Stir in carrots. Then add flour and baking soda, stir until just combined (over mixing = hard cake = sad birthday pooch).
  • Divide batter between the cake pans, spread and smooth surface.
  • Bake 25 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  • Cool on racks. Frost per below.

Doggie Fluffy Frosting:

  • Boil, steam or microwave potato until very soft.
  • Whip potato and yoghurt with an electric beater until fluffy and smooth as possible (won't go 100% smooth) - about 1 1/2 minutes on medium speed (speed 5).
  • Use water as needed to loosen frosting to soft spreadable consistency (like human buttercream frosting!). Use while warm (it "sets" when it cools).

Frost:

  • Spread 1/4 frosting on one cake.
  • Top with other cake. Frost tops and sides with remaining frosting, reserving some to pipe decorations if desired (3/4 cup frosting).

Recipe Notes:

1. Cake pan  - could also use a bundt pan or one cake pan and cut the cake in half. Or a square pan about 20cm/8".
2. Serving size - Appropriate serving size should be determined having regard to the health, size, activeness and digestive sensitivities of your dog. Dozer was fine even eating a very large slice (almost 1/8th of the cake!). But he is a highly active dog  and has a broad diet, he eats many things I make and tastes almost everything I eat myself!
Do not use in place of a meal - just like with human cakes, dog cakes are not a well rounded nutritious meal!
3. Nutrition commentary (assumes 20 slices):
  • Eggs - good source of protein for dogs
  • Peanut butter - "treat" element, dogs are mad for peanut butter! Gives the cake an irresistible peanut butter smell, 2.5 tsp per slice
  • Oil - very small amount used, about 1/2 tsp per slice
  • Milk - if you're concerned about your dog consuming dairy, sub with water. Works out at 1.5 tsp per serve, and also remember it's cooked!
  • Honey - For a touch of sweetness, 3/4 tsp per slice. Can skip if you want.
  • Carrot - carrot is good for dogs! I hide a lot of carrot in Dozer's meals. Aso makes the sponge moist. Can sub with zucchini or sweet potato.
  • Wholewheat / wholemeal flour - just like with humans, carbs are fine to consume in moderation!
  • Baking soda - to make the sponge rise.
  • Potato - Same as flour, cooked potato is fine to consume in moderation! It's a better, healthier option than slathering the cake with a peanut butter yogurt frosting which seems to be the default for dog cake recipes. Too much yogurt or peanut butter is not good for our pooches (whether commercial sweetened spread or even pure unsweetened peanut butter, it's very high in fat. Some yogurt is good for dogs but not vast quantities)
  • Yogurt - probiotics in yogurt is good for dogs digestive system, just like with humans! If your dog is sensitive to dairy, just use water.
4. Nutrition per slice.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 157cal (8%)Carbohydrates: 20g (7%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Cholesterol: 16mg (5%)Sodium: 204mg (9%)Potassium: 241mg (7%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 1060IU (21%)Vitamin C: 4.4mg (5%)Calcium: 30mg (3%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: dog birthday cake, Dog cake recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Just because this whole post is for Dozer, that’s no excuse to break tradition by excluding the Life of Dozer section!!!

So here he is, starring in his first recipe video. Shooting with Dozer IN the video was somewhat of a challenge…… if he had his way, he’d have eaten the batter raw!! 😂

Dozer shooting dog cake recipe video

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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400 Comments

  1. Bella Rose-Mae says

    June 18, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! You’re so so great at making dog cakes. My dog, yogurt loved it a lot for his fifth birthday thanks for sharing!☺️

    Reply
  2. Dan Honey says

    June 18, 2023 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for making this dog cake recipe. My to poochs loved it! It was such a good idea to make the iceing potatoes! Their pup birthday would be a disaster with out it. Thanks again.😁

    Reply
  3. Abbey says

    May 5, 2023 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    Such a great cake for our furr babe! she loved it! mash potato for the icing is a killer idea, thank you so much for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  4. Beckie says

    April 29, 2023 at 6:41 am

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe and easy cake to make our pup loved it for his first birthday decorated it with his favourite treats too

    Reply
  5. Eliza says

    March 7, 2023 at 5:47 pm

    5 stars
    My pups Alfie and Truffle loved this cake!

    Reply
  6. Belinda Bele says

    January 8, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    5 stars
    Made this as cupcakes for my doggo’s 3rd birthday using maple syrup – two large cupcakes with mashed potato icing, topped with strawberries and cheese sprinkles, all gone in 30 seconds!
    Plus my partner, who does not like sweet foods, has finally found a cake he likes – win win 👏 😂
    Thanks so much for this recipe!

    Reply
  7. Janet Alvardo says

    December 12, 2022 at 2:22 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe my two dogs love this cake

    Reply
  8. Jo Jones says

    December 7, 2022 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    I just halfed this recipe and made “pupcakes”. My pup loved them, it was his 10th birthday today

    Reply
    • Lesley Fernandez says

      April 23, 2023 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today for a friend’s dogs birthday. This was an absolute hit with all the dogs including my own fussy girl.
      I made it into one five inch cake and 8 pupcakes

      Reply
  9. Sylvia says

    November 21, 2022 at 8:30 am

    5 stars
    I made half of this recipe in pupcakes for my girl’s first Gotcha Day, I got eight pupcakes. She and all invited pups approved.
    I added a little honey to the frosting and used very little water, so it was stiff enough to hold the shape, I used a star tip and added pink gel color. They looked so pretty, and felt soft and spongy! My neighbor’s dogs loved it so much they asked for the recipe.
    Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  10. Talita says

    October 8, 2022 at 10:03 pm

    5 stars
    The best doggie cake ever!
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Super easy, more healthy than a lot of others, and a huge hit!

    Reply
  11. Poppy says

    September 30, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! My pup turns 1 tomorrow so wanted to make something instead of buy a cake. Surprised how well the frosting turned out. I also used half the recipe as my pup is small. I cooked it in the airfryer and used coconut oil instead of normal oil. Will definitely use the recipe again.

    Reply
  12. AM says

    September 25, 2022 at 8:15 pm

    What can I substitute peanut butter for?

    Reply
  13. Jean says

    September 24, 2022 at 7:29 am

    Can the cake be frozen without the frosting?

    Reply
  14. Lorna says

    September 23, 2022 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I just made it today for Chen who turns one tomorrow though I reduced the honey. I’m loving the dog friendly ingredients.

    Reply
  15. Kevin says

    August 3, 2022 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    Made these as muffins for our labs 15th birthday, with greek yogurt instead of the frosting and he absolutely loved them

    Reply
  16. Shelley says

    June 27, 2022 at 1:20 pm

    Hello I want to make this yummy looking cake for my sweet Sophie girl for her 6th birthday. I was wondering if I could make the frosting with sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes?

    Reply
  17. Nelly (Evelyn) says

    June 14, 2022 at 8:17 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for my Jess who is mumble mumble years old. We have three younger dogs too and their birthday is next month. They were all part of the making process yesterday and when they saw the big cake this Morning they lost their minds! Seeing their delight and joy at the ‘party’ will be one of my enduring memories. One of the best
    Moments of my life. They are all sleeping it off now! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe and pictures. I’m on love with Dozer! Many thanks.

    Reply
  18. Twinkle says

    June 14, 2022 at 4:38 am

    What is the substitute for potato for frosting? Our vet has recommended we don’t feed potato to our dog.

    Reply
  19. andrea doneza says

    June 8, 2022 at 6:21 pm

    how long can i keep it in the refrigerator? 🙂

    Reply
  20. Ems says

    June 8, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    My little doggo is turning 2 in a weeks time, I’m going to make this for her! Great recipe, love the dog friendly ingredients.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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