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January 17 was Riley’s birthday so we decided to celebrate and throw a Shih Tzu Birthday Party . I made it my quest to find a yummy natural dog birthday cake for the special event. Initially I thought of purchasing a cake, but with prices in the range of $40 – $50 that was out of the question. I knew a DIY dog birthday cake would be in order.

My girls eat a raw diet, so I really wanted to stay close to their normal diet as much as possible, so their cake included a yummy blend of lamb, beef and The Honest Kitchen Hale base mix, along with fresh veggies. I did purchase all ingredients at Whole Foods with the exception of THK Hale base mix, as the Hale is a part of our everyday feeding, and kept the price under $25.00. This price could be lower if you changed the lamb with another meat of your choice, either ground chicken or turkey. This recipe is very easy to adjust so you can include veggies that are currently in season in your area, or ones that your dog may prefer. Since there isn’t any type of wheat or flour in this recipe it is very dense, so a small slice can go a long way.

Dog Birthday Cake

Natural Doggie Birthday Cake 2015-01-19 23:33:41 Serves 14 This is yummy cake is a fun take on meatloaf. Write a review Save Recipe Print Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 55 min Total Time 1 hr 15 min Prep Time 20 min Cook Time 55 min Total Time 1 hr 15 min Cake 1/2 pound ground lamb 1/2 pound ground beef 1/2 cup The Honest Kitchen Hale Base Mix (mixed with 1/2 cup water) 1 zucchini (shredded) 1 carrot (shredded) 1 egg 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese 5 strips of bacon Frosting 8 oz light cream cheese 8 oz Greek Yogurt 1 beet Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees Bake bacon until crispy, approximately 20 minutes, crumble once cooked Combine first 5 ingredients, mix thoroughly (I used my hands) Add Egg, mix Add Parmesan, mix Add half of crumbled bacon Once all ingredients are combined place into lightly greased silicon pan Bake for 50 minutes, remove from oven and drain excess liquid with baster. Return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely in silicon pan before removing for frosting. Frosting Steam sliced beat and allow to cool completely Combine cream cheese and yogurt and mix into a creamy mixture. Separate approximately 1/2 cup of mixture for colored decoration on cake Spread remaining white mixture on cake. With remaining 1/2 cup add one slice of beet to mixture, pressing beet will release color into cheese mixture, keep pressing beet to achieve desired color. Add mixture to dispensing bag and decorate with desired decorating tips Sprinkle remaining bacon on cake and plate Notes If your oven is over 5 years old I recommend using an oven thermometer to achieve correct temperature. I actually used my Breville toaster oven to bake this cake . By Christine Paul Adapted from Rachel Ray Adapted from Rachel Ray Oh My Shih Tzu http://www.ohmyshihtzu.com/

I found this a very easy cake to make, but what I think made it even better was its bone shape. I purchased the K9Cakery Silicone Cake Pan, 7-Inch by 10-Inch, Small , which fit perfectly in my Breville Toaster Oven. The girls went crazy about this cake! Even Trixie who never guards her food wouldn’t let me help her when it spilled out of the plate. It was that good!!!

Have you ever made a cake for your dog’s birthday? If so, how did it turn out?