How To Make A Dog Birthday Cake & Places To Buy Them In Australia

Who doesn’t love a gorgeous cake to celebrate their birthday? Turns out, your dog probably loves cake too! It’s sweet and delicious which is why it’s so enticing. But is birthday cake safe for dogs?

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about dog birthday cakes, including three recipes of how to make your own at home!

Are Dog Birthday Cakes Safe?

So when we talk about giving any human food to dogs, we have to exercise some level of caution. But in today’s article, we’re discussing birthday cakes made specifically for dogs. So the question becomes, are human birthday cakes safe for dogs?

It very much depends on the ingredients. Some cakes contain sweeteners that are toxic to dogs. Xylitol in particular is very deadly though it’s uncommon in cake frosting.

Too much sugar can cause stomach upset too.

A dog-friendly cake is basically a low-sugar cake. By using sugar alternatives like honey and fruit purees, you can make the cake much healthier for your dog’s digestive system.

It may not be the tastiest thing in the world to us but it’s still a wonderful treat to them!

Where Can You Buy Dog-Friendly Cakes?

In Australia, we’re fortunate to have many dog cake bakeries that can create incredible, creative dog birthday cakes for your pup, just do a quick google search and plenty of options will come up. 

Below are the best rated options in each Australian capital City:

Dog Birthday Cake Sydney

Check out Sassy Treats.

Dog Birthday Cake Melbourne

Check out Super Paw Pet Bakery.

Dog Birthday Cake Adelaide

Check out Scruffie's Pet Food Shop.

Dog Birthday Cake Perth

Check out The Pawstry Box.

Dog Birthday Cake Brisbane

Check out The Puptisserie.

When searching for a dog birthday cake, you want to ensure:

How To Make A Dog Cake

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the perfect dog birthday cake is stuffed with bacon bits, with bacon mousse and pig ear crackling bits on top. And sure, your dog would probably adore the thought of a bacon-themed cake, but it’s not the easiest way to go about this.

If anything, I am a lazy baker. So creating a dog-friendly cake needs to be quick and easy. It also needs to be edible for me too! (no way that I’m making an entire cake and not sharing it).

You’ll be delighted to hear that you can make dog birthday cakes the same way that you make most cakes, just with far less sugar. If you enjoy a spongey texture to your cakes and would like a healthier option, you may even enjoy these recipes as healthy cake alternatives for your family! Dogs enjoy the gentle sweetness and whole fruit additions, as well as the texture.

Below we have our favourite dog birthday cake recipe that you can personalise for all different tastes. Your dog will love any and all of them so feel free to experiment. Throughout the guide below, we’ll discuss certain ingredients that will enable you to personalise your dog’s birthday cake.

The Base Of The Dog-Friendly Cake

You can create every type of dog-friendly cake with this simple recipe:

This simple low-sugar sponge recipe is the basis of it all. Nail this and you can craft any dog birthday cake you want!

1. Preheat your oven to 175 celsius/345 Fahrenheit 
2. Prepare a baking tin of at least 15cm in diameter. Use a small amount of vegetable oil to grease the edges or spray non-stick oil. Alternatively, you can line the baking tin with parchment paper.
   
3. Beat the egg in a small bowl and set it aside. 
4. Prepare your whole food additions and set them aside. (More on that in the next section)
   
5. Add the plain flour, baking soda, baking powder, beaten egg, vegetable oil and honey to a large mixing bowl.
   If you are using a stand mixer, you can add all of the ingredients to the mixing bowl and beat them together. The flat beater is best on a low speed.
   If you are making the cake by hand, start with the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Then slowly sift in the flour, baking soda and baking powder mix little by little, mixing until smooth between each addition.
   
6. Carefully spoon out the cake batter into the pre-greased baking tin.
   
7. Put the baking tin in the oven for 15-20mins or until golden brown. To test, poke the cake with a toothpick or fork. It should come out of the cake clean and the cake should feel spongey. 
8. Allow to fully cool before decorating.

Choose Your Whole Food Additions

Dog cakes can be personalised in any which way once you know the basics. Simply choose from the fruit and veg that dogs love and enjoy to add a little flavour to the cake.

Peanut Butter

Granted, peanut butter isn’t a fruit or vegetable. But it is a great flavour maker and healthy addition to your dog’s birthday cake.

As a source of healthy fat and high in calorie density, you don’t need much to add to the cake. (2) Just two tablespoons will add a tiny bit of peanut butter flavour and improve the texture of the cake.

You can also use peanut butter to create a mouthwatering “frosting” layer either between two sponge cake layers or on top for decoration.

Note: smooth peanut butter is much better to work with than crunchy peanut butter. Crunchy pieces of peanuts may also be a choking hazard to your dog. It’s best avoided when making a dog-safe cake.

Bananas

Bananas are a firm favourite among some doggos. Banana cake in general is delicious for all.

Bananas are a healthy addition to your dog’s cake because they are packed with nutrients that your dog can benefit from. That said, the best way for your dog to derive those benefits is not through a cake! So let’s not pretend that a banana cake (or any cake) is necessarily “healthy” for your pup. But banana makes dog cakes better because it adds flavour, smell and sweetness to the treat.

Mash the banana into a smooth puree before adding to the cake.

Apples

Like bananas, apples are another non-toxic fruit that dogs tend to enjoy.

Apples are very high in vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A is excellent for the promotion of healthy eyesight and brain health. Vitamin C is good for immune health and a shiny, lush coat.

Again, much of the nutritional value of apples are lost in a cake, but it still adds flavour and sweetness.

To add to the cake, use apple puree with no added sugar or puree some apples yourself. When pureeing the apples yourself, completely remove the apple core and remove all seeds. Red, yellow and green apples are all good for your dog. You can also use a layer of softened apple slices on the top of the cake to dress it.

Pumpkin

Pumpkin is nutritious and delicious for dogs. Pumpkin cakes smell wonderful and have a fantastic texture. Pumpkin also helps with the texture of the cake.

Is pumpkin healthy for dogs? Yes, it is! It’s an excellent source of fibre. (3) In this way, it’s recommended to help your dog’s digestive system. You can give your dog pumpkin puree when they have diarrhoea or constipation to regulate their bowel movements.

Pumpkin puree, fresh or canned, can be used in a dog-friendly cake. Just two tablespoons are enough.

These often contain poisonous sweeteners and excess sugar that can be toxic to dogs.

Peaches 

Yellow peaches are a fantastic source of beta-carotene. This gives carrots its characteristic colour and is packed with vitamin A. As mentioned before, this is good for cognitive function and eyesight.

Peach puree is a sweet addition to your dog’s cake. Sliced peaches are a great way to decorate the cake too!

Pears 

The final whole food addition I’ll suggest is pear. Pears are great for your dog and many dogs enjoy them. Though they are an acquired taste. Apples are more popular in general among the doggy population as they tend to be sweeter. 

Mix in some delicious pear puree to add some extra sweetness to your dog’s cake. If you’re making your own pear puree, make sure you core the pear completely and only use the flesh.

How To Decorate Your Dog Birthday Cake

What is a cake without a little decoration! Not everyone loves frosting but if you do, here are some dog-friendly alternatives to prettify your masterpiece.

Whipped Cream

We have an article all about puppuccinos which is essentially a cup of whipped cream. Many dogs really enjoy whipped cream. Squirting some cream on the top of the cake artfully allows you to craft a beautiful dog birthday cake.

Search for sugar-free, sweetener-free whipped cream if you are looking for the canned variety. Sugar is bad for your dog and sweeteners are potentially toxic.

You can also whip your own heavy/double cream with no sugar at all.

Potato Puree

Some other publications advocate for potato puree as “frosting”. Potato puree is easy to mould so you can make your dog’s cake look very pretty, with intricate designs.

That said, it’s not as enticing for us humans! And I prefer to create a cake for my dogs that I can also eat. Sorry, not sorry!

If you are making a dedicated cake for your dog that they’ll eat entirely alone, give potato puree a try as decor. It works really well!

Sliced Fruits 

Sliced fruit is a beautiful way to decorate your dog’s cake. Not all dogs like raw fruit so are wary of doing this if your dog isn’t going to appreciate it. It’s their cake after all!

If you do have fruit-loving pups at home, fruits are a lovely way to dress the cake. It’s also marginally healthier than whipped cream and more enticing than potato puree.

Some great candidates for sliced fruit decoration are:

What Ingredients To Avoid

You can have lots of fun creating a cake for your dog. I hope the suggestions above have sparked your creativity! But what should you avoid including in your dog’s cake? Here’s what you need to know.

Sugar

You’ll notice that there is no sugar in the cake base at all. You honestly don’t need it. This affects the chemistry of the cake baking process, however, which is why we have so many leaveners in the cake mix (baking soda, baking powder and an egg).

You can use honey as an alternative to honey. Adding fruit puree also adds sweetness to the cake. 

Sweeteners

Sweeteners can be toxic to dogs. You don’t want to add any sweeteners and have your dog end up in doggy hospital. It’s also completely unnecessary. Your dog has sensitive tastebuds and doesn’t have the same dependency on sweet things as we do. So sweeteners are not only dangerous, they’re useless when creating an enticing cake for your pup.

Poisonous Fruits

Grapes are highly toxic to dogs. Pineapple can also be irritating if not prepared correctly. Be mindful of the whole food additions you choose so that you don’t accidentally poison your dog.

My Final Thoughts

No matter what you’re celebrating, give your dog the gift of a special celebration cake! In this article, I focussed on recipes that you can also enjoy so that everyone can have a slice of your dog’s cake for a family celebration.

We hope you enjoy it!

References

1. Schmid, R. Brutlag, A. “Xylitol Poisoning in Dogs”. VCA Hospitals. Retrieved March 1, 2022. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/xylitol-toxicity-in-dogs
2. Burke, A. December 25, 2021. “Can Dogs Eat Peanut Butter?”.  The American Kennel Club.  Retrieved March 1, 2022. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-peanut-butter/
   
3. Burke, A. July 6, 2021. “Can Pumpkin Help With Dog Diarrhea?”.  The American Kennel Club.  Retrieved March 1, 2022. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-pumpkin-help-with-dog-diarrhea/