Wow. I can’t believe it’s been one year already! But yes, one year ago today, we brought this little bundle of love home with us from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

And let’s face it, we’ve had our share of hurdles with the little princess, but any way you shape it, this little girl has changed our lives for the better. She may not be the most dog-friendly, and she still may have accidents (or puke on the carpet right after we had it cleaned) but she’s one of the best cuddlers a guy could ask for, and helps make the apartment feel warmer.

To celebrate her one-year since being born again, I decided she needed a special treat. Instead of having a full-blown party like I actually debated, I just went for a cake for the little girl.

As much as I wanted to let her eat the whole thing… I knew it was in the best interest of my floors that it be divided up over a few days.

Sophia’s First Glance

For those of you who haven’t baked for your dog before, the trick is to use as little sugar and dairy product as possible. So really, go as bland as possible, while still making it somewhat appealing.

Cake

• 1 cup of flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1 cup of grated, raw sweet potatoes
• 1 egg
• dash of vanilla extract
• teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/3 cup of peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of honey

Icing

• 1/4 cup of cream cheese
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• a few tablespoons of milk
• a few tablespoons of flour
• Food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all cake ingredients into a stiff dough
3. Put dough into greased cake pan
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden on top
5. Let cool on cooling rack
6. Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and alternate the milk and flour until you get your desired consistency
7. Add food coloring
8. Once cake is cooled, frost, then serve to your puppy

Mixing Puppy Dough

Flattening the Bland Dough

Mixing the Icing

Cooling the Puppy Cake

Cake with Princess Purple Icing

Happy One-Year Sophia!

We weren’t sure what to expect when we put the plate down, but soon realized that Sophia’s only real interest was in licking all of the icing off the top. So to get her to enjoy the cake itself, I cut a slice for her, and the rest is history.

She Was Really Into the Icing

And then I cut a slice…

Nom Nom Nom

It’s been one-year with our little Frenchie, and we can’t wait for many more to come. Maybe next year she’ll have a brother or sister to share the cake with…