4 Dog-Friendly Cake Recipes Easy Enough for Anyone To Bake

Whether it’s for their birthday, gotcha day, or any other celebration where you want your fur baby to just feel special, dog cakes are an excellent option. And while they may seem daunting (and you may be tempted to just order a cake from a dog bakery), the truth is that dog cakes can be easy and quick to make.

Besides, who deserves a home-baked cake more than your canine bestie? So, if you’re wondering how to bake a dog-friendly cake, you’ve come to the right place.

1. Dog-Friendly Birthday Cake Recipe

Source: Love From The Oven

The first recipe on this list comes from Love From The Oven. It’s simple and easy to make with few specialized ingredients. This cake is perfect for big celebrations for your dog, and can be loaded with the treats you want to add on!

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (avoid peanut butter with Xylitol as it is dangerous to dogs)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree (not a canned mix)
• 1 egg

Frosting

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8” round or square baking pan.
2. In one large bowl, combine flour and baking soda. 
3. Mix vegetable oil, peanut butter, pumpkin puree, and applesauce in a separate bowl. Add egg and mix until well combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
5. Pour into the greased pan.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is springy.
7. Leave in the pan and cool on a wire rack.
8. Add frosting if desired once cooled.

2. 4-Ingredient Easy Dog-Friendly Cake Recipe

Source: Pinterest

As the title suggests, this apple cake only takes four ingredients! This is the simplest recipe for dog cake on this list, so if you’re really uncertain about your baking skills, fear not. This dog cake is perfect for you.

Dogs love apples, so this cake should be a riot with your furry friend(s). This recipe does, however, only make one serving, so if you are serving multiple puppy pals, you may want to multiply the recipe accordingly. And, as always, make sure you’re using the best dog-friendly cake ingredients as we have them outlined and emphasized.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbs peanut butter (once again, no Xylitol)
• ½ an apple, peeled and grated (remove all seeds and don’t include the core)
• ½ tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil or spray the baking pan or muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, stirring until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into the pan or tin.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and/or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove and allow to cool completely.
6. Serve, frost and/or decorate as desired.

3. No-Bake Dog-Friendly Cake Recipe

Source: Spoiled Hounds

If you don’t have the time or resources to bake a cake but you’re set on making a dog cake, then perhaps the no-bake dog cake is your best bet. It may be a bit ingredient-intensive, but it requires no baking and makes eight servings! This is a great dog-friendly cake recipe; easy to create and resource- and nutrient-efficient.

Ingredients

Cake Layer

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup oats
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ½ cup natural peanut butter (again, no Xylitol. It’s important enough to bear repeating).
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup pumpkin puree (not canned mix)

Cake Filling and Frosting

• ½ cup peanut butter (No. Xylitol.)
• ¼ cup plain greek yogurt

Cake Topping

• Any dog-safe fruit of your choice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, rolled oats, melted coconut oil, peanut butter, applesauce, and pumpkin puree until sticky.
2. Let the dough stiffen in the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes
3. Roll out the dough onto a flat surface until it is about 1 to 1½-inches thick.
4. Cut out three four-inch circles. Leftover dough can be rolled into treats.
5. Place the circles separately, not on top of each other, on a tray or plate and put them into the refrigerator until they are hardened, which should be approximately 30 minutes.
6. Spread peanut butter on top of 2 circles and greek yogurt on top of the third.
7. Stack the layers to make a layer cake with the yogurt-frosted layer on top.
8. Top with dog-safe fruit like blueberries!
9. Serve!

4. Easy Grain-Free Dog-Friendly Cake Recipe​​

Source: Pinterest

And finally, if your dog has dietary restrictions that prevent them from eating grain, then this final dog-friendly cake recipe is perfect for you. It’s grain-free, simple to make, and easy on ingredients! 

With almond flour, honey, and fresh strawberries, this is the perfect grain-free dog-friendly cake option for your fuzzy friend’s special occasions.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 and ¾ cups almond flour
• 1 – 2 tbs honey 
• 3 eggs
• 2-3 tbs melted coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped organic strawberries

Icing

• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 2-3 tbs almond butter or peanut butter (no Xylitol!)
• Extra strawberries for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease two ramekin or souffle dishes (maybe three, depending on how small they are) with the melted coconut oil.
3. Mix all ingredients but the strawberries in the blender.
4. Fold strawberries into blended batter. 
5. Pour batter into the prepared ramekin dishes, about 3/4 of the way full. 
6. Bake for 15- 20 minutes.
7. Let cool.
8. Mix yogurt and almond or peanut butter until smooth. 
9. Once the cakes are cooled, spread the icing onto the tops of each layer and stack.
10. Garnish with extra strawberries or other fruit of your choice!

How To Make Dog-Friendly Cake FAQ

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s take a look at some of the most common questions people ask about baking cakes for dogs. 

What kind of cake is safe for dogs?

The best cakes for dogs are those made specifically for them, like in the recipes above.

Is human cake safe for dogs?

As with most human foods, dogs can eat human cake, but it is very unhealthy for them and should only be served in small portions proportional to the dog’s size, on special occasions.

What can I cook for my dog’s birthday?

Dog-friendly cakes and treats, of course!

Where can I buy a birthday cake for my dog?

Find any bakery that does dog-friendly goods, like The Dog Bakery!

PFI announces Nat Davies as new VP.

Pet food inflation is the wild card; its continuing rise in 2022 has challenged many pet owners and may wipe out pet food spending gains seen in 2021 data.

2023 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year announced.

Freshpet announces Jay Dahlgren as VP of manufacturing.

PFI announces 2023 board.

Scientists measured protein quality and amino acid composition and digestibility of four varieties of mealworm products. 

PetKeen.com, an online resource and team of veterinarians and writers who are dedicated to providing practical and helpful advice – backed by research and science – has named Tom&Sawyer the overall best fresh dog food delivery service in Canada. 

You can read their review and top picks here. 

Thank you, PetKeen! 

You can read more about Tom&Sawyer’s science here, and view all our gently cooked meals for dogs and cats here. 

What do Mars bars, M&Ms, Skittles, and Royal Canin all have in common?

If you’re puzzled by a possible connection between popular candy brands and dog food — so are many consumers! 

And now, beloved Canadian pet food brands Orijen and Acana share a connection to chocolate and candy, too.

Why?

Mars Incorporated, a global household name known for its namesake chocolate bar, has purchased Champion Pet Foods, the company behind creating some of the best-quality kibble for our Canadian fur friends. 

While not a surprise to some, considering Mars owns a lot of well-known pet food brands from Whiskas to Pedigree to Greenies, this acquisition has left many Canadian retailers and pet parents with a bad taste in their mouth (and no, they didn’t taste the kibble!). 

The concern is that Mars Petcare, a large corporation, is focused on creating profit for its shareholders, which could, in turn, affect the quality and overall nutrition of the beloved Canadian brands pet parents — and their fur babies — have come to love and trust. 

What can concerned pet parents do?

Look for Canadian-owned and Canadian-made pet food, that fully disclose where and how they source their ingredients. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to truly understand what’s in your pet’s food. 

Tom&Sawyer, for example, sources all its human-edible ingredients from Canadian restaurant suppliers and cooks food in batches in an open kitchen. Anyone can stop by during the week to see our professionally trained chefs in action. Check out our freshly made, gently cooked recipes for dogs and cats here. 

Have questions? Contact us here – we’d love to talk about your pet’s food! 

Does your dog keep licking their paws? This behaviour can cause concern for pet parents, and the reasons for paw licking can be varied. If you dog is constantly licking their paws, it can be a sign of poor health or malnutrition. 

Here are the top 5 reasons your dog may have itchy paws and how you can help.

1. Environment or Environmental Allergies

Do your hands get dry in the winter? A similar phenomenon can occur with your pup’s paws! As changes in the seasons occur and temperatures rise and fall, your dog’s paws may get dry or cracked. This can be irritating to can result in your dog licking their paws. 

Additionally, seasonal or environmental allergies could be causing your dog to lick their paws. This may be especially noticeable in the spring when there is a large increase in pollen and allergens in the air. 

                                                                  Photo by Daniel Lincoln

How to Help: Your veterinarian will be your best connection for helping to alleviate environmental allergy-related itching. A veterinarian may prescribe some medications for your pup such as:

• Oral medications (ie. Apoquel, antihistamines)
• Steroid medications
• Injectable medications (ie. Cytopoint)

Other methods for reducing allergy-related itching may include supplementing your pets’ diet with fatty acids, frequent bathing, or probiotic supplements. 

2. Food Intolerance or Allergy

Food intolerances or allergies can result in itchy or flaky skin and itchy paws. Diagnosing a food allergy is difficult for dogs, and while allergy testing exists for dogs, they are not well researched or validated. An elimination trial is the only effective way to diagnose a food allergy, though this can be a long process. You can read more about food allergies in our article: Understanding Allergies in Dogs.

How to Help: Treating a Food Allergy will include a dietary change and avoidance of specific allergens. Common allergies for dogs include protein sources and some grains. At Tom&Sawyer, we have a variety of options for pups with food allergies, including gluten/grain free options and novel proteins:

• Kangaroo: A novel protein, grain/gluten free, and limited ingredient recipe for dogs with food allergies. 
• Rosemary Venison: A lean novel protein option for pups with food allergies which is also grain/gluten-free.
• Fisherman’s Best Friend: Our pollock is considered hypo-allergenic though this recipe is grain friendly (contains rice).
• Classic Pork Stew: A gluten/grain-free option with hearty root vegetables!

3. Bacterial or Fungal Infections

Itchy paws can be a sign of a bacterial or fungal infection. Common bacterial infections resulting in itchy paws can come from Staphylococcus, Proteus, Actinomyces, Mycobacterium, Nocardia, and Pseudomonas. Fungal infections can include ringworm (Dermatophytes), mycetoma, cryptococcis, sporotrichosis, or blastomycosis. 

Other symptoms for bacterial or fungal infections can include swollen feet, hair loss, ulcers, and pus or discharge. 

How to Help: Medications will be prescribed by your veterinarian and could include antibiotics, steroidal creams or medications, or antifungals.

4. Nutritional Deficiencies

Specific nutrient deficiencies may cause itchy paws for your dog. Nutrients of particular interest can include:

• Protein
• Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Copper
• Vitamin E

How to Help: A complete and balanced diet is the best way to ensure your pup is meeting their nutritional needs. Supplements may also be prescribed depending on the level of deficiency to ensure a speedy nutrient recovery. 

5. Low Quality Food

Even when feeding a complete and balanced diet, your pup may be at risk for nutrient deficiencies if the food is of low quality. Low quality foods can reduce digestibility, meaning much of the nutrients won’t get digested and absorbed. Rather, they will move through the gastrointestinal tract and be excreted. 

Gently cooked pet foods have been shown to have a greater digestibility than other pet food formats (ie. kibble, raw foods). Our gently cooked meals are complete and balanced and highly digestible to ensure a healthy pup! 

Some of our pup’s favourite Tom&Sawyer meals:

• Italian Beef Pasta: We don’t know a dog (or hooman) who doesn’t love pasta! Our #1 best-selling recipe is a hearty bowl of lean ground beef, egg, spinach and tomato puree designed for a healthy pasta night with your pup
• Classic Pork Stew: Our Classic Pork Stew combines hearty root vegetables like pumpkin, parsnip and turnip with kale and spinach – a tasty meal that’s high in protein and low in carbs. This nutrient-dense meal is canine comfort food in a bowl.
• Coconut Chicken: Creamy coconut, tender chicken, carrot and spinach on a bed of rice — we’ve taken Thai take-out and made it dog-friendly. Infused with turmeric, it’s anti-inflammatory and low-fat friendly for pups with pancreatitis.

To learn more about our gently cooked meals and how they can help your pup, click here. 

Written by: Hannah Godfrey
Animal Nutritionist
BSc.H. | MSc. Animal Nutrition
www.tomandsawyer.com

References: 

Case L.P. et al. Canine and Feline Nutrition: A resource for companion animal professionals 3rd ed. 2010.

National Research Council. (2006). Nutrient requirements of dogs and cats. Washington, DC. The National Academies Press.

Hand MS, Thatcher CD, Reimillard RL, Roudebush P, Morris ML, Novotny BJ. editors. Small animal clinical nutrition, 4th ed. Topeka, KS: Mark Morris Institute. 2000.

White SD, Moriello KA. Allergies in Dogs. Merck Manual: Veterinary Manual. 2018.