Birthday cake recipe for dogs

Makes 1 cake with 4 to 6 servings

People do like to make a fuss over their dogs. For a birthday or adoption anniversary, you can go to a very fancy pet shop and spend a lot of money on a cake or you can make up this nutritious treat (to be meted out during the week) for much less. Here’s a cake that you can feel good about offering your dog.

1⁄3 cup (50 g) flour
1⁄3 cup (50 g) polenta (cornmeal), bran or rolled oats
11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
500 g minced chicken
30 ml honey
1 large egg
1⁄4 cup (60 g) live-culture plain yogurt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 container (125 g) spreadable cream cheese
Delectable Dog Biscuits, as needed to decorate cake

1 Preheat the oven to 180ºC (Gas 4). In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and add the chicken, honey, egg, yogurt and oil. Stir just until mixed.

2 Pour into a greased cake tin and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is done and a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

3 Turn out onto a cake rack to cool.

4 Ice the cake with cream cheese (thin cheese, if needed, with a little milk) and decorate with the dog biscuits. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 1 week.