No birthday is complete without blowing out the candles on your birthday cake – and The Innocent Pet have created the perfect DIY cake mix to bake your dog their very own special treat.
The Yorkshire-based family run company create luxury pet treats in their human-grade factory, inspired by their lurcher Bongo. The number of canine co-workers has only grown since the launch, adding Mash and Ziggy to the team of Taste Testers.
Chloe and Justin launched the brand in 2013 as a way to offer high quality, healthy treats with locally sourced, sustainable meat. They said: “Family is our core value; just as we do for our kids, we like to show love for our pets. We like to spoil them with treats but in a way that is responsible, healthy and delicious.”
The Innocent Pet create treats for both dogs and cats, splitting the brand into The Innocent Hound and The Innocent Cat. As part of their canine range, they launched a special Birthday Cake Mix for our four-legged friends celebrating being with us for another year. Phoebe and Frank loved helping to make their Christmas Cake Mix, so I already knew this was going to be a really winner for Phoebe’s sixth birthday.
The Birthday Cake Mix is a really simple, no fuss, no mess recipe which is grain free with single protein British duck. The meaty cake takes just half an hour to mix and bake, so you won’t find yourself in the kitchen for too long on your pet’s special day.
Inside the box – which costs £12 – is a duck mix, with 60% duck, sweet potato, vegetable glycerol, parsley, basil, marjoram, oregano and thyme; and a flour mix of yellow split pea and chickpea flour, baking powder, apple, cranberry and nettle leaf. All you’ll need from your own cuboards is two eggs and 40ml of water – and of course, a cake tin or cupcake tray.
To make the cake, add all of your ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine. I used an electric mixer for speed, but it would be easily done manually, too. Ones the cake mix is combined, you can spread it evenly into a lined cake tin, or separate into six individual pupcakes. It will then take around 20 to 25 minutes to bake on Gas Mark 5. The easy instructions are laid out on the back of the recyclable cardboard packaging – but it’s that quick and simple to make, it’s unlikely you’ll need them!
Whilst we waited for the cake to bake, Phoebe and Frank gave the spoon a cheeky lick, and waited in anticipation for the oven door to reopen. Once baked, you can leave the cake on a rack to cool before decorating. I had hoped to use cream cheese for the frosting, but we were all out, so I used some xylitol-free peanut butter instead, and sprinkled it with LickiMat Orange and Liver sprinkles.
I added a number six birthday candle for Phoebe, and she was very keen to get stuck in – but did sit nicely for some photos first. The cake cuts really well, and I cut ours into eight even slices. Of course, Phoebe and Frank inhaled their piece, and we even dropped Winston a slice round. This would be perfect for sharing at a pawty, and can even be cut into smaller slices for smaller breeds. For £12, we found it a really affordable alternative to a dog bakery, and far less stressful than trying to make my own. I had a lot of fun making and decorating it, and it’s easy enough to get the kids involved in helping, too. We’ll definitely be repurchasing for future celebrations!
