The Best Birthday Cake — For Your Dog

The days when birthday parties and celebrations were just for humans are long gone. Our pets are now just as important to us as our kids, and they receive the same kind of praise and attention for every milestone they reach and every special achievement they accomplish.

Ever since designer dog collars became the city dog norm, this craze of "essential" dog-accessories now includes a range of clothes (for both winter and summer), shoes, play dates, spa treatments, and now, even birthday parties. But what's a birthday party without a cake?

Though you may be intent on baking a cake for your dog's special day that you and your human friends can enjoy, that doesn't exactly seem fair to Fido. So, this year (when another seven dog years will have passed, so a big party is definitely in order), make sure you don't force your dog to look longingly at its own birthday cake without being able to try a slice.

Click here for the Peanut Butter Pupcake recipe.

A dog-friendly birthday cake may sound like a bizarre phenomenon — when their daily diet consists mainly of dried biscuits and a few scraps of your leftover roast chicken, how's it going to handle a buttercream-coated slice of chocolate cake? Well, to be honest, it's not. The cake you make for your dog is going to need to be slightly different from the one you would bake for your kids. There should be no chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, ice cream, almonds, or pecans involved, which may sound limiting, but actually, by following this recipe for a frosted peanut butter pupcake, you'll discover that this dog-friendly cake really isn't difficult to create. We promise your pup will appreciate the hard work, will devour the cake, and will be as grateful as you are when someone bakes you a huge cake to celebrate your own birthday party.

Click here to see how to host the best ever birthday party for your pet.