It's my beautiful baby boy's 1st birthday today - I can't believe how quickly the time has flown and he is already a year and no longer a puppy (although every other time I call him, I call him puppy - will have to re-think that one).

What more to do on your dog's first birthday than make him a birthday cake! When looking into what I could include, there are so many things that are dangerous for dogs to eat, from the obvious chocolate and raisins, to xylitol which is a form of sweetener used in replacement to sugar in some cooking. The only sweetener in this recipe is honey, so although humans can also enjoy the cake it won't be as sweet as you are perhaps used to.

We have really spoilt him for his first birthday, which may seem silly to some but he is our baby boy and he deserves it. Rolo is the best money we have ever spent, he has brought us so much joy particularly in a time when a lot of people are feeling isolated and depressed. He has encouraged us to go out on daily walks, getting us out of the house perhaps at times when we really just couldn't be bothered, he's made us laugh with his funny waddle and playtime. So, we thought we would treat him with his very own birthday cake!

Even if I wasn't a baker, I would say this recipe is super easy to whip up. And it's baked just like a regular cake but with ingredients that are safe and good for your dog, and has tastes that they love.

Peanut Butter

When sourcing your ingredients, the only watch out is make sure that the peanut butter you choose is smooth and does not contain xylitol. Most that you find in the regular supermarket don't, but some do so just double check that ingredients list as xylitol is harmful to your dog.

Keeping the leftovers

Although the cake is only a small 6" treat, you don't want your dog eating it all in one go! Wrap well in cling film and it will last for 3 days in the fridge, or wrap slices individually and pop them in the freezer to get out at a later time. Just let it defrost as room temperature until soft.

Peanut Butter & Carrot Dog Birthday Cake

Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 Eggs
60ml Sunflower oil
115g Apple sauce
70g Peanut butter (with no xylitol)
145g Grated carrot
2tbsp Honey
145g Self-raising flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
Additional peanut butter and dog treats for decorating

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C, and butter and line two 6" round tins with grease-proof paper.

2. Add the sunflower oil, apple sauce, peanut butter, carrot and honey to your bowl and whisk together until smooth.

3. Add the flour and baking powder and fold until combined. And as easy as that - split the batter between your two tins.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until bouncy to the touch (you can also insert a skewer and when it comes out clean, it's baked). Once slightly cooled, turn onto a cooling rack.

5. Once completely cooled, stack the two sponges on top of each other using peanut butter in the middle and decorate as you wish.

6. Serve a slice to your fur baby and celebrate. Keep the rest in the fridge for up to three days and freeze to give as a treat in the future.