Ziggy’s Cake Smash: Carrot & Apple Birthday Cake for Dogs

Shell & Katy Pretty Fluffy Editors

Katy and Shell are two style-savvy dog mums who celebrate the best in pet-friendly living. A professional pet photographer and dog lifestyle writer, together they bring dog-friendly inspiration, pet product recommendations, dog treat recipes, pet expert advice and the best in emerging and designer dog brands into the homes of discerning pet parents around the world.

A fun, simple and scrumptious way to celebrate your dog’s birthday DIY-style, is by baking their very own dog birthday cake! 

After all, if there’s one day of the year your dog should have their cake and eat it too, it’s their birthday. And for us dog mamas, there’s no better cause for celebration than honouring the day your fur baby waggled their perfect little doggie toosh into the world (as if we really need an excuse to spoil them anyway!)

June 4th was our Ziggy’s birthday, and we wanted to spoil him with a special dog-friendly cake that combines his two favourite foods – carrots and peanut butter.

What we love about this dog cake recipe is that it’s not only made with love, but also with healthy, protein-packed ingredients. And it’s super easy to make too!

To make the perfect dog birthday cake for Ziggy that fulfilled the carrot and peanut butter brief, we adapted the Carrot Pupcakes recipe from the 52 Weeks of Treats eBook, and made a drool-worthy addition – peanut butter yogurt frosting.

And boy oh boy, did Ziggy love it! After devouring his portion of cake in under 5 seconds, he gleefully licked the remaining frosting from his nose and chops long afterwards (as evidenced below).

And being the extra kind of dog mamas we are, we just couldn’t bake Ziggy a dog birthday cake without setting up a cake smash photo shoot too! See our simple tips and props below to set up your own DIY dog cake smash photo shoot at home.

SO. MUCH. FUN. (And mess. But fun mess!)

Carrot & Apple Birthday Cake for Dogs (with peanut butter yogurt frosting!)

THE CAKE:
2 Cups Grated Carrot
3 Cups Wholemeal Flour
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
4 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Applesauce
4 Free Range Eggs (Beaten)

THE PEANUT BUTTER YOGURT FROSTING:
1 ½ Cups Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Cup Smooth Natural Peanut Butter (unsalted with no added sugars)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 175 C/ 350F. Lightly grease a 25cm round cake tin (to achieve the shape, layers and size of our cake, using 3 x springform mini cake tins would be the easiest option!)  

1. Combine grated carrot, beaten eggs and applesauce in a medium bowl.
2. Combine flour, oats and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients to form a thick batter.
4. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cake tin/s and place in the oven.
5. Bake for 25 minutes (may vary depending on oven). Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.
6. If you’re not using the mini cake tins, once cooled, cut out 3 x circles to create the cake layers. We used a knife to cut around a small 12cm bowl, but you can use anything available that’s round!
7. Using a spoon, add your frosting mixture to each layer of the cake (including the top) and sprinkle with carrot peel gratings for extra texture, taste and decoration!

TIP: With the leftover frosting, you can make cute bone or paw print moulds to decorate the top or base of the cake.

DIY Dog Cake Smash Photo Shoot at Home

There are endless creative options when it comes to your dog’s cake smash shoot! You could plan out an elaborate shoot, choosing a colour pallette, flowers and props to suit your theme.

Or, like us, if you’re looking for something quick and easy with maximum wow-factor, start with what’s already available at home. Any left over party poppers, decorations or colourful props you can work with? If not, here’s a handy list of decorative items similar to those featured in our shoot:

• Waterproof White Back Drop 
• Party Hats
• Maxwell & Williams White Basics Footed Cake Stand 
• Birthday Cake Topper Numbers
• Happy Birthday Bunting Pack

5 QUICK CAKE SMASH SET-UP TIPS:

1. Attach your waterproof backdrop to the wall of a well-lit and spacious room.
2. Decorate the back drop (get creative with your props and decorations, just be sure to leave a clear space for your dog to sit!)
3. Once your cake stand and all props are in place, take a test shot of the scene (with your dog, but without the cake) to make sure everything fits well in the frame. Pay close attention to the height of the bunting, to avoid your dog covering it too much in the photos.
4. When you’re happy with how your cake smash set up is looking, it’s time to bring in the cake (depending on how enthusiastic your pup is about cake, you may need someone to distract them at this point!)
5. Ready, set, go! Set your camera’s shutter speed to fast (or your phone to burst mode) so you’re ready to capture every second of the cake smash action.

We hope you love Ziggy’s birthday cake recipe and have plenty of fun creating your own cake smash shoot.  Don’t forget to tag us @pretty_fluffy in your photos  – enjoy!

** The above recipe is for treats only and should not replace your dog’s regular meal plans. Always check with your vet about any major changes to your dog’s diet.

WANT MORE HOMEMADE HEALTHY DOG TREAT RECIPES?

Check out the eBook 52 Weeks of Treats – Simple & Healthy Dog Treat Recipes for Every Season.

Now in it’s 2nd edition, 52 Weeks of Treats has over 30 healthy DIY dog treat recipes – including everything from summer ‘Blueberry Pupsicles’ to hearty winter ‘Beef Bites’.

With a handy allergies guide, quick references for grain and dairy free recipes AND a whole section just for special occasions (Doggie Birthday Cake anyone?) 52 Weeks of Treats is the ultimate dog treat recipe book.