Dog Cakes

Cakes for Your Dog

There's no doubt about it, selling gourmet dog cakes and treats has become a booming niche market. Perhaps you already have a favorite doggie bakery in your own neighborhood, but if not, a quick Internet search should reveal plenty of online vendors selling all sorts of delicious canine treats.

What's the difference between dog cakes and those sold for human consumption? Surprisingly little, except for some of the flavor combinations, and the lowered amounts of sugars included.

In fact, many of these baked goods are made with human grade ingredients, good enough to share with your furry friend. Just make sure you know what's in your cake before you decide to try a bite. Some cakes are made strictly for canine consumption, and may include actual canned dog food in the ingredient list.

Foods to Avoid

Although there are few things dogs enjoy more than some tasty table scraps, not everything on the human menu is suitable for dogs. Some food stuffs are actually toxic to our pets, while others may simply cause mild digestive disturbances. On the whole, it's better to avoid feeding your pets the following items.

• Chocolate
• Onions
• Raw eggs
• Mushrooms
• Citrus fruits
• Macadamia nuts

Liver

Liver is often used in dog foods and treats, and is a favorite with most canines. However, feeding your pet too much liver results in an overload of Vitamin A, which can be toxic to dogs in large amounts. It's alright to give liver as an occasional treat, just don't make it a staple in your pet's diet.

Bake Your Own Dog Cakes

Store bought dog cakes can be great, but nothing says love more than goodies baked with your own two hands. Here are a few dog cake recipes that are sure to please even the most finicky pooch.

Doggie Applesauce Mini-Cakes

Bake these delicious mini dog cakes ahead of time, and save them in the freezer. Defrost as needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl mix:

1 1/2 C. Unbleached flour

1 C. Oats

3/4 C. Bran

2 tsp. Baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

In a small bowl mix:

3/4 C. Applesauce

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

1/3 C. Honey

4 Tbsp. Canola oil

Pour contents of small bowl into dry ingredients and stir in:

1 1/2 C. Milk

Spoon batter into lined muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until a rich golden brown. Recipe yields approximately two dozen mini dog cakes.

Wiener Dog Cake

What dog doesn't love cocktail wieners?

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

15 cocktail wieners, sliced into bite size pieces

2 C. Jiffy Baking Mix

2 C. Of your dog's favorite cheese, grated

1/2 C. milk

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

Mix last four ingredients until moist, then stir in cocktail wieners. Pour mixture into an 8 x 8 inch greased cake pan and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and slice into servings.

Bacon and Egg Cake

This recipe is a variation of the wiener dog cake.

Preheat over to 375 degrees F.

Combine:

2 1/2 C. Jiffy Baking Mix

1/2 C. milk

3 Eggs, slightly beaten

Stir in:

3/4 C. Real bacon bits

Pour mixture into a greased 8 x 8 inch cake pan and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and slice into individual servings.

External Links

• Lucie's Farm, dog cakes and other goodies.
• Barbara's Canine Catering, dog cakes and gift baskets.