Birthday Cake For Your Dog June 15 2017

Our girl Starr turned 12! Where oh where does the time go?

We had a little birthday party with her BFF's where they all went crazy for our gluten-free apple pumpkin peanut butter layer cake with Greek yogurt peanut butter frosting and bacon crumble between the layers and on top.

It was easy to make and too good not to share. Here's the recipe.

Cake ingredients:

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 or All-Purpose gluten-free flour 1 tablespoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg (or substitute with an additional 1/4 cup apple puree

1/4 coconut oil (becomes liquid at room temp, just leave it on top of oven when pre-heating to melt)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup fresh apple puree (or store bought, without additives - use an addition 1/4 if omitting the egg)

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (no additives) *

1/4 cup fresh churned peanut butter (or store bought without additives) **

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Icing: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/8- 1/4 cup peanut butter

* pumpkin puree can be substituted with blueberry, banana puree

** if you dog is sensitive to peanut butter or you want to reduce fat in the recipe, replace the peanut butter with banana puree.

Icing Ingreidents:

½ cup Greek Yogurt

¼ cup peanut butter **

Topping:

Crumbled crispy bacon pieces

Tools:

10" square, 9" x 13" rectangle or even a medium round pan will work

Cake Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease baking pan with melted coconut oil

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In a smaller bowl, mix well the wet ingredients with a whisk, electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient to combine well but do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, tap to even out and place your the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the toothpick test comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes or until cooled. Run a knife around the edges, put a plate over the pan and invert to release the cake onto the plate. If it doesn't come out easily, let it cook a little longer and make sure you run the knife well around the edges to loosen before retrying.

Icing & Crumble Instructions:

While the cake is baking, cook bacon in a cast iron pan on the stovetop until crisp. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Using a whisk, combine the Greek yogurt and peanut butter until smooth and well mixed. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Once the cake is completely cooled, take a large heart (or any other shaped) cookie cutter and press into cake, creating as many cut out pieces as you can. If your cake is very tall (depending on the size pan you used) you can also cut it in half through the middle to create shorter layers. That's what I did.

Assembly:

Assemble your cut outs by taking one and using a butter or icing knife to spread your frosting to the edges. Sprinkle some bacon crumbles over the icing. Gently press another cut-out over the one you already frosted, then add icing and bacon crumble on top. Repeat for any pieces you have left. I made my cake in a deep 9" pie pan and cut through the middle, making 14 layered 4" heart cakes.

Frosting dog cake Making layered birthday cake for dogs