Champion's 'Pupcakes'

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Written by: Josette Deschambeault

I’m a self-proclaimed dog mom, and unashamedly so. I recently held a birthday for my 9-year old dog that rivaled the attendance of my own 21st birthday. Of course, for every human invited, a dog was invited, as well — and why on earth would you not make “pup”cakes for the canine attendees? Champion loves tennis balls more than anything in the world, so, naturally, he had tennis ball “pup”cakes for his big day. 

 
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recipe  

(Makes ~ 24 “pup”cakes)

Preheat oven to 350℉. 

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 1 cup flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ⅓ cup peanut butter

  • ⅔ pumpkin purée (make sure it’s just pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!)

  • 1 egg

  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup shredded smoked salmon 

  • ~24 cupcake papers

FROSTING #1 (less healthy)

  • 1 cup cream cheese

  • Few drops green food coloring (a few is alright, but don’t overload!)

  • ¼ milk 

OR

FROSTING #2 (Healthier)

  • 1 cup instant mashed potatoes (only if you can find them without added seasonings or sodium!)

  • Natural green food coloring (tip: boil spinach leaves and add the green-colored water)

(Or you can really cheat and use store-bought frosting, like I did, and just use it sparingly. It’s not great for dogs, but can confirm that all pups who ate these are thriving!) 

 

STEP 1 - COMBINE INGREDIENTS

  • Combine flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Stir. 

  • Add peanut butter and pumpkin to bowl. Stir. 

  • Add vegetable oil and water to bowl. Stir. 

  • Add most of the smoked salmon (reserve some salmon for topping, if desired). 


STEP 2 - PREP CUPCAKE TIN

  • Divide cupcake papers between cupcake tins. (You know what to do.)

  • Spoon a large spoonful into each cupcake paper. (I measured until the mixture was just under the rim of each cupcake paper.) 

STEP 3 - BAKE CUPCAKES

  • Put cupcake tin into oven. Bake 10-15 minutes, or until the cupcakes are fully cooked. (If you insert a toothpick or sharp knife into the center of the cupcakes, they should come out clean.) 

  • Let cool 10-15 minutes, or until cupcakes don’t crumble.

STEP 4 - MAKE FROSTING

  • If you’re using instant mashed potatoes, follow instructions for 1 cup mashed potatoes. Or, add water until potatoes have a thick, creamy consistency. (Don’t be afraid to add butter - Champ) 

  • If you’re using cream cheese, stir or whip 1-2 minutes, or until the cream cheese is smooth and soft. (If needed, add a few tablespoons milk to reach a creamy frosting consistency. Or melted butter.) 

  • Reserve about ¼ cup of white, uncolored frosting for piping. 

  • Add 4-5 drops of food coloring to the frosting, until you reach a tennis-ball-esque color. (Think yellow-neon-green.) 

  • If you want a chunky, “fuzzy” consistency, finely chop the smoked salmon and stir it into the frosting. 


STEP 5 - DECORATE

  • Spread 1-2 tablespoons of green frosting over each cupcake. 

  • Use a frosting piper or plastic bag with a tiny corner cut off. Place the reserved white frosting into your piping. Make 2 crescent moons facing opposite directions on each cupcake with about an inch in between the two arches. (See photo for reference.) 

STEP 6 - ENJOY!

  • Serve these pupcakes up to your favorite 4-legged friend and capture their reactions!

DogJosette Deschambeaultdog cupcakes, pupcakes, tennis balls, birthday partyComment