I am officially that crazy dog mom. Making a birthday cake for my dog and even naming it after her. But Kingsley deserves it. Kingsley’s cake is a birthday cake for dogs and it is healthy, grain free, and I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t like it!
So last year I made pupcakes for Kingsley’s first birthday. I decided then I wasn’t going to post it because I was too self conscious of being “that girl” you know the one who is way too crazy about her dog? It’s okay I used to make fun of them too. Until we got Kingsley 🙂 She is my baby through and through and while I will never try to say that I understand what having a human baby is like, because I don’t have kids, and I am sure it is incomparable in every way, I do love this pup with my whole entire heart and she is 100% a part of our family!
So we decided to do a second birthday party because who cares what people think, and what is wrong with creating a reason to get friends and family together? Nothing. And I again made a big treat for her, this time in the form of a cake, and it turned out really well so I decided I wanted to share! Plus it is easy to make and that is always a plus.
AND this cake is totally human friendly. Go ahead and try a bite! Just not if you put the dog treat “sprinkles” on it. And I will warn you – it isn’t super sweet so you might not love it – but it is something you could share together if you so desire – and I promise your pups will adore it!
Vetting the Ingredients
I did a lot of research on this one. I googled every single ingredient and made sure it was safe for dogs, and tried to pick only ones that actually had benefits too! So here they are:
Chickpea Flour – I chose chickpea flour because it is high in protein and fiber, contains some micro-nutrients, and is lower in carbs and calories than other alternatives (some pups are on diets okay!). Also it is grain free which I know is important to a lot of people. I used Bob’s Red Mill chickpea flour in my recipe. Bob’s is a brand I trust and it is certified non-GMO.
UNsweetened Apple Sauce – unsweetened being the key word, don’t get one with sugar or any other ingredient except apples. Apples are a really healthy treat for dogs, and that is all this is! We lose the added benefit of the skin but it is still a good source of vitamin A and C. I used a Sprouts organic brand.
Peanut Butter – we all know dogs love peanut butter, and it is a good source of healthy fats! Just make sure that you are buying one that is 100% peanuts, and no other ingredients (a little salt is okay). I used Crazy Richards smooth peanut butter in my cake.
Sweet Potato – sweet potatoes are another great source of fiber for dogs, contain some essential vitamins, and of course make the cake taste great 😉
Baking Soda – I did choose to use a little baking soda in my recipe, because I got greedy and wanted it to rise like a real cake so it was pretty for Kingsley. I promise I looked in plenty of places and found that baking soda is fine for dogs, even PetMD itself says so. But you can totally leave it out if you want.
Eggs – eggs are great for dogs (make sure they are cooked, never raw!). They are a good source of protein, riboflavin, and selenium. I went all out and used organic, pasture raised Handsome Brook Farm eggs in my cake (you can get them in your local Publix), and while you don’t have to, I do always recommend pasture raised eggs.
Then there is the frosting! Made with only two ingredients:
Plain Greek Yogurt – yogurt is also a good source of protein, just buy plain (so basically make sure there is no sugar), and greek (it has less lactose than regular yogurt – plus makes for a thicker frosting!).
Powdered Peanut Butter – so you could use some more regular peanut butter here, but I like how powered peanut butter mixes in better. Again you will want to make sure it is 100% peanuts, and most out there are not so be careful. I used Crazy Richards powdered peanut butter in my cake.
Optional Dog Treat “Sprinkles” – now remember once you put these on I would NOT consider this human friendly anymore. I mean maybe technically you could eat them, but I don’t think you want to eat dog treats. But if you do, that is your choice. We have these itty bitty circle dog treats we use for training, Authority Soft Bites, and they worked perfectly as little circle sprinkles! Plus they are high protein, no artificial anything, and have vitamins – plus they have a bacon flavor. You could really use any though.
Now that you feel safe feeding this to your dog, lets go!
Let’s Make Kingsley’s Dog Birthday Cake!
If you have questions on getting to your mashed sweet potato ingredient (sometimes I hate when recipes just assume!) here is what you do – a couple options. Option 1: take a sweet potato, peel it, cut it into a few pieces, and put it in a pot of water (covering the entire potato) and bring it to a boil. Boil until soft, then mash with a knife and measure out what you need. Option 2: take that same sweet potato you have, poke some holes in it, wrap it in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 5 minutes. Then split in half, scoop the flesh out, and mash! This way is quicker and simpler but boiling will give you a softer product. You may be able to use sweet potato puree from a can, but I used a fresh one in mine!
From there it is super easy now that we have gone through all the ingredients and explained this sweet potato mash. Just combine the dry ones and wet ones separately, then combine, then bake – easy peasy!
The best part about this recipe is, dogs don’t complain if it is overcooked 😉
In addition to the listed ingredients you will need:
- two mixing bowls
- an 8×8 baking dish
- parchment paper
I wish the happiest birthday to the furry friend in your life!
Print
Kingsley’s Cake (A Dog Birthday Cake)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 1 8×8 cake 1x
Description
Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Dog & Person Friendly
Kingsley’s cake is a birthday cake for dogs (that is human friendly too!) and it is healthy, grain free, and I have yet to meet a dog that doesn’t like it!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 egg
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter
- Optional: small dog treat “sprinkles”
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Combine the chickpea flour and baking soda together in one bowl and stir.
- In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the cake ingredients and stir until minimal sweet potato lumps remain.
- Add wet ingredients to dry, and stir to combine.
- Pour in an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper.
- Cook for 15 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Frosting:
- While cake is baking, combine frosting ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Wait until cake is fully cooled until topping.
- Optional: add some small dog treats as “sprinkles”!
Notes
This is dog and person friendly, but might not be sweet enough for the human friends 🙂
If you put the dog treat sprinkles on, please don’t have the human guests eat it
If your dog is not on a grain free diet you can sub the chickpea flour for whole wheat flour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dog Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/9 of pan
If you make this recipe for the furry love of your life PLEASE share with me! It would make me so happy to see. Either leave a comment below letting me know how they liked it, or if you share it on Instagram please tag me at @donutworry_behealthy so I can see it!
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