Ok, yes…I admit we spoil them. But nobody deserves it more than these guys! So, for Finn’s first birthday with us, I made them a Carrot Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, and decorated with their favorite dog biscuits and some crushed peanuts!
We just celebrated Finn’s 4th birthday! Not only was this the first birthday being with us, it also marks the one year anniversary of the day that he was removed from the hoarding house that he had been living in with 150 other dogs and cats.
Finn’s favorite snacks are cucumbers, bananas and carrots. I didn’t think a cucumber cake would be very appealing, and Sawyer, (our Lab) doesn’t love bananas, so I decided on carrot cake. They both love peanut butter, so the frosting was a no brainer. This carrot cake, which is based on a recipe I make for us, is very moist and fluffy. I did not add any sugar, so it’s not sweet, though.
If you want to go the extra mile, once you frost the cake, you can decorate it with some of your dog’s favorite biscuits, and/or some crushed peanuts.
Happy Birthday, Finn!!!
Carrot Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 tbsp flax meal
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ cup plant based milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- 1 cup carrots finely shredded
For the Frosting:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese room temperature
Instructions
For the cake:
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Line a 6 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl add the flax and mix with the water.
- Add in the plant based milk and lemon juice (or vinegar), and mix.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and spices, and mix just until the flour is incorporated.
- Fold in the shredded carrots.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan and spread evenly with rubber spatula or offset spatula.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and top is deep golden brown.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then flip it onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Whip the peanut butter and cream cheese with a whisk attachment, until fluffy.
Assembling the cake:
- When the cake is completely cooled, slice it in half, horizontally. Spread about ⅓ of the frosting on top of one of the cakes. Then top with the second piece.Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.If you want, decorate the cake with some of your dog's favorite biscuits.