There are many foods on the “do not eat” list for dogs. Chocolate is one of the main “no-no’s” for our sweet pets. Chocolate contains methylxanthines, which is a toxic substance that causes a dog’s metabolic processes to go into overdrive. A small portion of chocolate can cause diarrhea and vomiting. A large portion of chocolate can actually kill a dog. For this reason, when giving dogs treats, like cake, steer clear of any chocolate.
Other ingredients that are commonly in sweet treats like cake that dogs should not have are sugar, milk, macadamia nuts, raisins, and yeast dough. Milk has fatty acids and sugars that dogs have a difficult time processing. Raisins and grapes can cause kidney failure in dogs and macadamia nuts, while not known exactly why, make dogs very sick. High quantities of sugar can cause tooth decay, weight gain, and diabetes in dogs, and yeast dough, when eaten raw, can ferment in the stomach and cause alcohol poisoning to our pet.
What ingredients can we use to make our furry companion a birthday cake or other treat? Ingredients such as carrots, apples, peanut butter, blueberries, and bananas can be go-to treats on their own or ingredients in that celebratory cake.
There are many recipes for dog-friendly cakes. Humans can eat these cakes too, but there will not be sugar in these recipes, so they might not be as appealing to our sweet tooth.
Pumpkin Cake:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter – always check ingredients and make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol as it is toxic to dogs
- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree-make sure it is plain pumpkin
Frosting
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat the 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 the 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 cooling on a wire rack prior to removing the pan.
- After cooling, add frosting if desired and decorate with dog treats!
How about a carrot-based cake for your pooch!
Carrot Cake:
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup whole wheat or white flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can make small cakes by greasing cupcake tins or one larger cake by greasing an 8” round pan.
- Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl; blend well. Stir in the carrots and mix thoroughly. Sift together the flour and baking soda and fold into the carrot mixture. Spoon cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
