This Pumpkin Dog Cake Recipe is an easy one-bowl cake for dogs to celebrate fall. It’s packed with homemade pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and oats for a healthy treat for your furry friend.
You might have already tried some of my dog birthday cake recipes, such as my Carrot Cake for Dogs or my 3-Ingredient Dog Cake. And with fall approaching, it’s a great time to add pumpkin everywhere, even in your homemade dog food.
So here’s a new dog cake recipe for you, a pumpkin dog cake packed with all the benefits of pure pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and oats.
How To Make Pumpkin Dog Cake
It’s so easy to make this dog’s birthday pumpkin cake that you will make it over and over again for your pup.
Plus, I can guarantee that your dog will love it and be so grateful for the time your spent baking.
Ingredients
All you need to bake this lovely easy dog cake recipe for your dog are a few ingredients:
- Egg – This adds protein to your dog’s diet and a lovely texture to the cake, so it’s not coming out dry.
- Pumpkin Puree – You can make your own by steaming or boiling pumpkin. See note below. Another option consist of buying natural canned pumpkin puree, not to confound with pumpkin pie filling that is full of sugar and not dog-friendly.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – Natural without added salt, no added sugar, or added oil.
- Coconut Oil or fish oil, or flaxseed oil – all these options are healthy options for dogs (source). They add healthy omega to their plate good for skin and heart health.
- All-Purpose Flour or white whole wheat – I wouldn’t use oat flour or wholewheat flour only because the cake comes out dry. Even if it’s a cake for a dog, trust me, your pet deserves a moist cake.
- Rolled Oats – This is optional but this add texture, fiber, and protein to your dog.
- Baking Soda – This helps the cake rise, but you can skip it if preferred. Some pups don’t do well with baking powder and baking soda, and since it’s added for texture, you can skip it.
Making Pumpkin Puree
You can buy canned pumpkin puree that are 100% made from pumpkin for a quick option. Canned pumpkin puree without added salt, or sugar is healthy for dogs.
However, you can make your own pumpkin puree at home as well. Peel, deseed pumpkin and cut into small cubes. Next, steam in a vegetable steamer or boil for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft.
Drain over a sieve and cool down before mashing into a puree.
You can mash with a potato masher, but it leaves some bits and pieces of pumpkin, which is not perfect for baking.
The best option is to place the cooked pumpkin in a food processor and process until smooth.
Making The Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line and grease one or two 6-inch cake pans. Set aside.
To make the cake batter, add egg, peanut butter, pumpkin puree in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to bring the ingredients together into a smooth mixture.
Next, add the dry ingredients: flour, oats, and baking soda. Use a spoon or rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together and form a thick cake batter.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the center rack of the oven until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean – about 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack to fully cool down before frosting.
Pumpkin Yogurt Frosting
For this cake, I chose a new frosting method. I usually make my dog frosting with potato puree. However, this time I wanted to use yogurt and pumpkin puree to make a drippy frosting that adds a creamy texture to the cake.
To make the frosting, stir both wet ingredients together into a small bowl: plain Greek yogurt and pumpkin puree.
Layer Cake Decoration
Cut the cake into two layers and fill the layer with the frosting. It’s very liquid and not thick, making the cake moister. For a thicker frosting, try the frosting from my 3-ingredient dog birthday cake recipe.
To decorate the top, add drops of homemade pumpkin puree.
Storage Instructions
You can store cake leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze the cake in a zip-lock bag and thaw in the fridge the day before.
Allergy Swaps
If your dog has some food intolerances, try the options below to make this puppy cake recipe suitable.
- Baking Soda-Free – Just skip it and bake into two cake pans so the layers stay fluffy and not over-baked since you removed the leavening agent.
- Oil Option – Try fish oil or olive oil as alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to your most popular questions about this cake.
You can bake this recipe in a greased cupcake pan. You should get 3-4 pup cakes from this recipe.
Yes, cinnamon is not toxic to dogs compared to cinnamon essential oil.
It doesn’t mean they should eat lots of it either. But, in a dog treats recipe it’s ok to add a teaspoon of cinnamon for flavors.
A regular pumpkin cake is not recommended for dogs.
First, it contains many unhealthy ingredients for dogs, like sugar, and it can contain toxic ingredients, like dried raisins or chocolate chips.
Cakes that are safe for dogs are labeled as dog cakes.
All cakes designed for human consumption are not healthy for dogs and can even sometimes be very dangerous.
A dog cake should be made without sugar or minimal sugar, and no toxic ingredients (source), like chocolate, xylitol, macadamia, or raisins, and packed with healthy nutrients like oats, peanut butter, or fruits and vegetables.
Pumpkin goes well with rice, and lean meat like turkey, or chicken, or dogs’ meatballs.
More Recipes For Dogs
If you enjoy baking for your dog, try these other delicious dog recipes:
Pumpkin Dog Cake
Ingredients
- 1 large Egg
- â…“ cup Pumpkin Puree
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter
- 2 tablespoons Oil coconut oil or olive oil
- ½ cup Flour
- ¼ cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda – optional
Pumpkin yogurt frosting
- ¼ cup Pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 6-inch round springform pan (15 cm) with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat egg, pumpkin puree, natural peanut butter, and olive oil until smooth.
- Fold in flour, oats, and baking soda if used.
- Stir to combine and form a thick, smooth cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes in the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool down on a wire rack before frosting.
Pumpkin frosting
- Cut the cooled cake in half to form two cake layers.
- Stir the pumpkin puree and plain Greek yogurt – it will be very liquid but add moisture to the cake. Spread between the cake layers.
- Decorate with drops of pumpkin puree or grated carrots.
Storage
- Store leftover in the fridge, wrap in foil and keep up to 4 days.
Hi! Thank you for sharing the doggy cake recipes. My dog is allergic to wheat flour and I’m wondering if almond flour is any better than oat flour? I give my dog fish oil (I get this off Amazon). Is it safe to bake that? I’ve not tried feeding my dog with olive oil, or avocado oil. Not sure how she would react to it. She’s turning 10 by end of the month! I can’t wait to try baking her a cake 🙂
Almond flour is slightly more difficult to work with than oat flour, but both should be fine.
Can i substitute apple sauce for the oil?
I haven’t tried, but let me know if you do!
Made pumpkin cake recipe as loaf and get lots of compliments
I add 2t so pumpkin spice