OK, I know that my blog is about reinventing my family’s traditional recipes and I debated whether I should post this recipe and break my own rules. But then I realized….this is my blog! I can post whatever I want. Lol. So my friends, I give you for your consideration my recipe for an Instant Pot Homemade Dog Cake. (I see you shaking your head, dear husband, but too bad!)

You might be asking yourself, hey Lana, what made you decide to make an Instant Pot cake for your dog? Well, first, it was her 3rd birthday and obviously I needed a cake. That’s just a given. Second, I had tried making human cakes (not cakes made of humans, but for humans, just in case you were concerned, hehe) and didn’t like the texture. In the past few years I have become an avid baker and I haven’t come across an IP cake I liked as much as one traditionally baked in an oven (cheesecake is the exception to this, for sure. If you haven’t made a cheesecake in the Instant Pot run, don’t walk to your kitchen and do it! I suggest my Cheesecake Flan cause it’s super simple and so delicious!) However, I thought if I could make the Instant Pot cakes just a bit denser, it would be perfect for a dog treat. Third, it’s another reason to use my Instant Pot and my cake decorating skills.

Here is my step by step video:

DIY Cooking for Dogs Safety Information

Before I even started on this recipe, I did research on how to safely cook for your dogs. I have an undergraduate degree in Animal Science, so I know the importance of choosing ingredients when feeding our pets and how it can often be a life or death decision. I turned to my Cooperative Extensions information as well as information from the AVMA (American Veterinarian Medical Association).

1. Cooking for your pets is a great, but anytime you change their diet even with an occasional treat, make sure to do it slowly and in small amounts. Moderation is key!
2. Do not use any ingredient containing Xylitol. This can be found in sugar free or low sugar foods and is dangerous for dogs.
3. Flour and oats are a good source of fiber for dogs in small amounts. However yeast is not safe for dogs.
4. The ingredients in my recipe are all safe for dogs. You can substitute ingredients, however make sure they are OK for dogs to eat. A few ingredients that are NOT safe for dogs are onion, chocolate, and raisins.

Instant Pot Homemade Dog Treat Cake

Recipe by Lana Horruitiner Perez

Cake

• 1 cup Flour (You can use AP Flour or Whole Wheat Flour. However, you cannot use any flour with yeast.)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/8 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter (I used Organic Unsalted Creamy Peanut Butter. Make sure to look on the ingredient list and choose a peanut butter that is made of nothing but peanuts. Do not use sugar free or low sugar peanut butter because these most likely contain Xylitol which is not safe for dogs.)
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• 1/2 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree (do not use Pumpkin Pie Filling because this has lots of sugar. If you want you can substitute with canned yams or other mashed vegetables that are safe for dogs.)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup Water for Instant Pot

Frosting

• 3/4 cups Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Peanut Butter
• 1 Tbl Pure Pumpkin Puree

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Grease a 7 inch Ring Mold.

I like using the Fat Daddio Ring Mold. They fit a 6 Qt Instant Pot perfectly and they are very sturdy and safe for pressure cookers. You can buy it online here.

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If you have a 3 Qt, you can buy the 5 inch Ring Mold here. https://amzn.to/2W7BnDO

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup Flour and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder. Set aside.

In a separate larger bowl, whisk together the 1/8 cup Vegetable Oil, 1 Egg, 1/4 cup Peanut Butter, 1/2 cup Applesauce, and 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree.

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Fold the flour mixture into the pumpkin and applesauce mixture. Spoon into the greased ring mold and the smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Cover the ring mold with foil.

Add 1 cup of Water to the Instant pot liner and place the trivet in the Instant Pot. Place the covered ring mold on the trivet.

Lock the Instant pot lid into place and make sure the valve is set to SEALED.

Cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes (If you are using the 5 inch ring mold in the 3 Qt cook for 40 minutes.) Once done, allow to Natural Release for 15 minutes. Remove the cake and place on a wire rack and remove the foil. After about 10 minutes, invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool for at least an hour.

While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl mix together 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup Peanut Butter, and 1 Tbl Pumpkin Puree until smooth. You can substitute other dog safe ingredients here. Once mixed well, cover and put in the fridge until the cake is cooled completely and ready to frost.

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Once the cake is cooled, frost and decorate! 

Please rate this recipe using the Stars below. Thank you!