Colt’s First Birthday and Cake Recipe

March 29 is our official date of birth for Colt. He is one and is still very energetic, adorable and still as naughty as ever. Now that Colt is one, we must celebrate – doggie style! (Recipe okay for humans, too!)

Zack and I picked up Colt from the owners in front of a Petco. He was the last of his litter and we were told that he would be a German Shepherd. After watching him grow from a cute little teddy bear into this weird, cute little shaggy-haired dog, we knew he wasn’t full German. He had nice colorations, but he topped out at 50 pounds.

We drove him on his first cross-country trip to Wisconsin over Thanksgiving to see our parents. No one believed us that he was a German. For Christmas, my mom bought us a Mars Veterinary Wisdom Panel in order to test Colt’s DNA. It’s not super cheap, but it’s not over-priced either considering all the information you receive.

It turns out that Colt is 50% Australian Shepherd and only 25% German Shepherd. The test results dive into that his other 25% is a mixed breed that may contain terrier, guard, herding or sporting. It goes into detail about each group. So Zack and I did get a German, but only a little bit. His ears, coloring and excessive whining for sure.

Another good part of the test results is that we know Colt has the MDR1 gene. The MDR1 is a genetic mutation found in many of the herding breeds, some sight-hound breeds and many mixed breed dogs. These dogs require reduced drug doses for most drugs that are pumped by P-glycoprotein. It is good information for our vet to know.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg

Frosting

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl mix together vegetable oil, peanut butter, applesauce and pumpkin puree. Once combined, mix in egg and mix until combined.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until combined
5. Pour mixture into an 8″ pan that has been greased with oil.
6. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
7. Allow to cool before removing from pan
8. After cooling, add frosting

Frosting

1. Mix Greek yogurt and peanut butter until well combined. Spread over cake. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator.