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Milk Bar Inspired Birthday Cake for Dogs Recipe

You can substitute the carob brownie bites for your dog’s favorite treats, kibble, unsweetened dried fruit or meat, or anything else your dog loves best. You know, if you don’t feel like making brownies and cake for one recipe. Your pet will never know the difference.

But hey, since birthdays come just once a year, let’s do it right!

  • Author: Kiki Kane
  • Prep Time: 1 hours
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 13 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 1 6" layer cake 1x
  • Category: Special Occasion
  • Cuisine: Birthday
Scale

Ingredients

For the carob brownie decorations

  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp carob powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup reserved bacon fat
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp molasses
  • A dash of milk to smooth batter if necessary

For the cake

  • 2 cups oat flour (pulse rolled oats in a food processor until floury)
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 ½ cups non-fat yogurt
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 4 slices cooked and crumbled bacon

For the frosting

  • 1 8oz low-fat Neufchâtel cream cheese
  • ½ cup non-fat yogurt
  • ½ cup peanut butter (check the ingredients to avoid dangerous xylitol)
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup tapioca flour

You can simplify the frosting by using whipped sweet potato with a little yogurt or cream cheese whipped in.

Equipment

Instructions

First, we’ll make the carob brownies. You can make them ahead of time and keep in an airtight container in the fridge until decorating time.

Carob Brownies

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  2. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment and grease for easy removal.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and pulse to combine.
  4. Add the wet ingredients and pulse until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl to incorporate.
  5. Pour batter into sheet pan, tilting to completely cover bottom of pan.
  6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just springy and a knife comes out clean.
  7. Allow brownies to cool completely before gently peeling off parchment and cutting out shapes with cookie cutters.

Maple Bacon Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and grease for easy removal.
  3. Use the food processor to pulverize rolled oats into a fine, floury texture
  4. Add the remaining dry ingredients and pulse to combine.
  5. Add remaining wet ingredients, pulsing until combined.
  6. Pour the batter into the sheet pan, tapping lightly to remove air bubbles.
  7. Sprinkle bacon bits evenly across the cake batter.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick. The cake will be dense but shouldn’t jiggle.
  9. Cool completely before cutting out cake rounds. You can use the fridge if you’re in a hurry.

Peanut Butter Frosting

  1. Combine wet ingredients in food processor or stand mixer and pulse to combine.
  2. Add the tapioca flour a little at a time until fluffy peaks form. (You may not need the full amount.)
  3. You can store the frosting in the fridge until assembly time, but you’ll want to mix it again and brint it to room temperature to be spreadable.

Notes

Assembly instructions

  1. First thing first, this cake will be going in the freezer so make sure you have the space to store this majestic beast in your deep freeze in a flat and non-perilous manner.
  2. Turn out sheet cake onto parchment and gently peel the parchment off the bottom of the cake.
  3. Using a 6” cake round, cut out 2 perfect circles of cake. You will use the remaining scraps to form the base layer.
  4. Clean your cake ring, place a cardboard circle in the bottom if using, and insert an acetate strip and secure.
  5. Assemble on a nice plate, cookie sheet, or some other flat surface you can use to easily transport the finished cake.
  6. Using the scraps from your sheet cake, create the base layer of your cake (the bottom doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want the edges to look nice since they will be revealed in this recipe.
  7. Baste the cake layer with milk to keep things moist. Add a layer of frosting (about a third of the amount you made or a little less), then sprinkle with a nice layer of your carob brownies, sprinkles, or whatever yummy treats you are using.
  8. Add a second tier of acetate to hold in the cakey goodness. You want the acetate to be a little higher than the finished cake to protect the top decorations.
  9. Assemble the middle layer the same way, saving your nicest round for the top of the cake.
  10. Baste the cake with milk, frost, then sprinkle your treats.
  11. Top with your nicest circle of cake, and frost lavishly, adding crumbles, bacon, small cookies, or whatever your dog likes best for the finishing touches.
  12. Move the finished cake to the freezer for a minimum of 12 hours. You can keep the cake in the freezer for a few weeks.
  13. Thaw the finished frozen cake in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.
  14. Gently remove acetate strips before serving. The thawed cake will be good in the fridge for 5 days.

Find it online: https://www.rover.com/blog/milk-bar-dog-birthday-cake-recipe/