Happy 3rd Gotcha Day Rosie!
It’s been three years since the stormy day we took Rosie home! I can’t believe she’s only been in our lives for such a short time. I hardly remember life without her. While she doesn’t understand why we’re making a big fuss, she’s definitely into all the excitement every year. She totally knows something is up when she smells the ground turkey and oats, and guards the kitchen with laser focus when I’m assembling her cake.
A dog cake is simple because dogs, especially Rosie, will eat everything. For her first “birthday,” we had a dog party in a friend’s yard and a human barbecue alongside. We tried very hard to get everyone to sit for a picture, but trying to catch all six dogs paying attention all at once was harder than I could have ever imagined. Three days later, she stole a loaf of bread at daycare and shit her brains out every 2 hours for like 3 days, and that is how I remember her first birthday now.
Backyard dog party with Juno, Gatsby, Holly, and the whippet twins!
Rosie never took her eyes off the cake the whole time lol
For year 2, I sent the cake to her daycare playgroup. Monika, our dog walker, put on an actual party for all the dogs. It was adorable, and I wish I wasn’t working so I could have been there to see it! She raved about the cake afterwards, saying all the dogs LOVED it. I think that statement actually does mean something coming from her? Maybe some dogs are more picky than others.
This year, we were thinking of having a dog party somewhere outside, but it got too complicated. Being new to the city, Rosie doesn’t really have any friends around here, only a few walk acquaintances. Instead we just had a small home celebration.
Happy birthday to my sweet barky girl.
Rosie’s Birthday Cake
The Cake (makes 2 4-inch mini cakes)
Mix these ingredients together:
1 lb turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup peas and carrots
1/4 cup quick oats (ground regular oats are probably fine too)
Really mix to emulsify the meat, like you’re making dumplings. It will make the cake less crumbly and stand up to handling more easily. I used a gloved hand and really squeeze.
Press into a nonstick or well-greased baking vessel, lined with parchment paper. Note that this doesn’t rise like a regular cake. Make it the thickness you want.
Bake at 350F until it’s cooked through.
The Frosting
For this frosting, literally do the exact opposite of how you’d make good tasting human mashed potatoes. We’re aiming for the gluey texture.
Peel and cut into 1-inch cubes:
4 large russet potatoes (for the 2 small mini cakes, with enough for decoration)
Waterlog potatoes as much as possible without them falling apart: boil potatoes vigorously, at a rolling boil, until cooked through. Then boil for 5 more minutes.
Drain, and allow potatoes to cool a bit.
When cool enough to handle but still warm, blitz potatoes in a food processor. Add small splashes of milk or water as needed.
You may need to do this in batches.
You’re aiming for a very pale, white, and airy paste, so keep blitzing even if it looks smooth and light. The frosting will lose air and turn yellow again over time, but the glue texture will stay!
To make dog biscuit garnish, mix all the ingredients together, roll and punch desired shapes, and bake at 325F until crispy. Then, decorate with candy melts and colored mashed potato frosting.
63g peanut butter
3 Tbsp milk
12g egg (I set some aside when making dog cake)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
~8g ground oats (enough to make it the dough not stick to your fingers)
shredded carrots, for health
(If you’re making this recipe as dog treats, you can scale up to 4x, which uses 1 egg.)
Assembly notes:
Just build this exactly 100% like a regular cake. This year, I had some leftover blueberries, so I used that as the “filling.”
When the potato frosting is warm, it behaves a lot like grocery store frosting. It’s loose, easily spreadable, and oddly aerated.
When chilled, the frosting is a lot like play-doh. If you’re having trouble smoothing your frosting out, let it chill thoroughly in the fridge. At that point, you can wet your hands slightly and mold the cake to your liking.