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[Dog-Friendly] Peanut Butter Naked Cake

Alana Kysar

My baby girl #asausagenamedvienna just turned EIGHT!!! Ahhh! Where have the years gone? It feels like it was just yesterday that I took her home to my apartment in Honolulu after an extremely stressful (for me, not her, or maybe her too) 30-minute interisland flight from Maui to Oahu. I can still remember my teeny, tiny, baby dog hiding under the couch for what felt like forever and crying about EVERYTHING. And man was she teeny! Think the length of two Alana-sized palms. She might not be much bigger now than she was then, (she weighs in at a hefty six pounds), but luckily, for me, she has outgrown the hiding and crying stage. She's my daily alarm clock, my reminder to take daily walks, and she fills my days with so much joy that some days I feel like I'm gonna burst with happiness.

We take birthdays pretty seriously here and mini dachshund birthdays are no exception. So, in V's honor, I fixed this quick and easy (and dog-friendly) peanut butter cake and gave it a naked frost. Why did I opt for a naked frost? Because my little dog is all about the frosting! Just take a look at the gif below (and then try not to smile from ear to ear)! If I'd have let her, she'd have licked the whole cake clean. In fact, she immediately stopped wagging her tail and gave me the saddest puppy eyes when I took her cake away to cut a slice out for her. However, the tail wagging started up again as soon as she got her slice (which she took giant shark-like bites out of). 

If you've got a special canine in your life, maybe consider making him/her one of these for his/her next birthday. I'm pretty sure s/he will thank you. And if you're on the fence, I suggest you take a look at the ingredient list below--I have a feeling you'll be super pumped on making it for your furry friend once you see what goes into it. Please note that I did try a slice, just to make sure everything was alright, and honestly, by human standards, it wasn't half bad. Lily suggested that it might double as a breakfast cake with a healthy shmear of strawberry guava jam, it'd be awesome with my morning coffee. Regardless, Vienna loved it, and that's really all that matters to me! Happiest of days, my sweet, sweet V!! 

[Dog Friendly] Peanut Butter Naked Cake Recipe

Heavily adapted from The Scrumptious Pumpkin

Makes two 4-1/2" double layer cakes

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

  • 3/4 c. stone ground garbanzo bean flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

  • 1/4 c. finely grated carrot, packed (~ 1 small carrot)

  • 1/2 c. applesauce

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3 Tbsp. creamy, unsweetened peanut butter

FROSTING

  • 1/2 c. plain skyr or greek yogurt (I used Siggi's)

  • 3 Tbsp. creamy, unsweetened peanut butter

  • Optional: Dog treats (I use Sojos)

TOOLS

  • Small and medium mixing bowl

  • Whisk

  • 2 4 1/2" cake pans (I used these)

  • Rubber spatula

  • Wire rack

  • Offset spatula

FIX

  1. Spray pans with canola oil and lightly dust with garbanzo bean flour. Preheat oven to 350°F. 

  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together garbanzo bean flour, baking powder, grated carrot, applesauce, eggs, and peanut butter until smooth. 

  3. Divide batter evenly between both pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

  4. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

  5. When cakes are cool, in a small mixing bowl, stir skyr (or greek yogurt) and peanut butter together until smooth.

  6. Cut cakes in half, horizontally. 

  7. Place one round on a cake plate and cover with 1/4 of the frosting. Smooth to the edges with an offset spatula.
    Place the second layer on top and smooth 1/4 of the frosting on top. Spread to edges then run your spatula evenly along the side of your cake to smooth out any excess frosting. Repeat for second cake. Top with dog treats, if using.

  8. Serve and watch your dog enjoy!