Peanut Butter Carrot Cake (For Dogs)

This past Monday September 23rd marked the 5th birthday for our beloved Bull-Mastiff, Salem!  I remember making her a birthday cake for her first, but it was just thrown together on the fly, I had used a can of wet dog food, as that's a suuuuper duper treat for a dog who only consumes dry kibble, and shaped it into a number one, and covered it with shredded carrots.  It's was inhaled!  

                    



I don't remember making another cake since the first, though.  And of course my guilty conscience got the better of me!  I make a cake for everybody else, so why not Salem too?   My poor baby puppy, how could I have neglected you so?!  I happened to be off from work with sick kids on Monday, so I actually had extra time at home to bake her the fabulous cake of her dreams!  





I asked Sloane is she thought we were crazy for baking a birthday cake for a dog? She replied, "People who don't make cakes for their dogs, are the crazy ones!" So smart, that girl!

I swear, Salem knew I was baking for her, she was in the kitchen the whole time wagging her tail excitedly.  Maybe it was all the extra pets, and carrot stumps thrown her way?  




Served on a silver platter with a homemade birthday hat on her head, we sang her happy birthday, and let her go to town!

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake (for Dogs)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 + 1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 + 1/2 cups shredded carrot
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F
Mix together 1/4 cup of peanut butter, oil, 1 cup of the shredded carrots, vanilla, egg, and honey.  Add flour and baking soda, and mix well. You will end up with a firm batter, and it won't rise much!  I used a loaf pan, and sprayed it with non-stick spray, before baking for 30 minutes.  Allow the cake to cool, for about 10-15 minutes, before removing from the pan, and cutting into desired shape - I chose a bone!
To "frost" the cake, warm up the extra 1/4 cup of peanut butter in the microwave (you could do this on the stove top as well!) for a consistency that's easier to spread.  Spread the warmed peanut butter over the the whole of the bone-shaped cake,  I used melted carob chips to spell Salem's name, and then the extra 1/2 cup of shredded carrots to decorate the edges. 

Happy Birthday!