Novelty Birthday Cakes

I think I missed out on something growing up. I can only remember having a cat cake for my, possibly, third birthday. Most cakes were whatever took my mother's fancy. Once I was in high school, though, it was up to me to make my birthday cake; and I've made one pretty much every year, but I was blindsighted by the phrase 'mud cake'. So in the past year I seemd to have regressed to my nnearly novelty-less cake childhood and use any excuse to make novelty cakes. Last year I made a giant cupcake for my birthday; then a castle with an invading choco babies army for my grandmother's 79th birthday (how do I top that for her 80th this year?!); and now I've moved onto celebrating my dog's birthday just so I could make a dog cake.

The dog cake: with chocolate and plain icing, and licorice face.

I went with a new cake recipe too - pumpkin and choc chip. Being Australian, I have never put pumpkin into a cake, pie or tart; and can't but canned pumpkin. So I claimed to be more healthy and utilised the kent pumpkin that was asking to be eaten every time I opened the fridge.

The result:
A cake I can claim is healthy (it has a 'real' vegetable - pumpkin and a want to be vegetable - chocolate!)
A cake that is way too cute (but not as cute as my dog!)

It's really easy cake to mix up. The dog face pattern is simple; although it's up to you how much detail you put into it. I really enjoyed cooking, decorating and eating it!

Dog face pattern, Pumpkin cake recipe