My dog Jack loved carrots. For his 7th birthday, I made him a carrot cake from my mother-in-law’s recipe. He, and we, loved it.
As you see, the cat did too. While I was giving the birthday boy his cake, she was eating mine!
(If you make it for your dog, don’t put walnuts in it. Many nuts are toxic for dogs, including walnuts, almonds and, especially, macadamias.)
Cake
Sift or stir together, then set aside:
- 2 C flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Mix together in a large bowl, beating after each addition:
- 1 1/4 C cooking oil
- 1 3/4 C sugar
- 4 eggs
Add dry ingredients to oil-sugar-egg mixture and mix well.
Stir into batter, without overmixing:
- 2 C finely grated or chopped carrots (chopped in food processor is best)
- 1 C drained crushed pineapple
- 3/4 C chopped nuts (walnuts are good)
The batter will be thin. Pour into a greased and lightly floured 14” x 18” baking pan. Bake in preheated 325˚ oven for about 35 mins. or until toothpick or sharp knife come out clean. Cool completely before icing.
Icing
- 1/2 C softened butter or margarine
- 4-8 oz softened cream cheese (I use ‘light’, it tastes as good)
- 1 C or more of confectioners (icing) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla (almond or walnut extract can be used instead)
Blend together. Will be firm but not stiff. Spread on cooled cake. Refrigerate to keep icing cool. This is a rich cake, so small servings are recommended, especially around cats. It’s very large, so you can half the recipe.
