I need to thicken cream cheese frosting for dogs
January 5, 2019 1:20 PM   Subscribe

I'm making Barkday Cakes for dogs, which is basically peanut butter cake with no salt or sugar, frosted with cream cheese. This is working fine and the birthday dogs love it, but I'd like to up my cake decorating game!

The frosting is just not... thick enough? It will go on but it's very rough, won't fill holes and can't be smoothed.

Piping is basically a non-event. I can make nice 4B swirly peaks but even if refrigerated immediately, they soon just collapse into very polite, defined pools. (The pink edging in the photo was perfect-ish when I did it and then ended up as shown.)

I need something natural and healthy and dog-friendly to stiffen this cream cheese with. I would like these cakes to be not just cute, but actually good!
posted by DarlingBri to Home & Garden (14 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Thicken with gelatin?
posted by Marky at 1:23 PM on January 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


Maybe cornstarch, or arrowroot?
posted by alathia at 1:26 PM on January 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


instant mashed potatoes.
posted by Stewriffic at 1:32 PM on January 5, 2019 [6 favorites]


Peanut flour? Coconut or chickpea flour? (not sure if those are dog friendly tho)
posted by pseudostrabismus at 1:48 PM on January 5, 2019


What kind of cream cheese are you using? Might whipped cream cheese be easier to pipe and manipulate?
posted by Miss T.Horn at 1:50 PM on January 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I came to recommend merengue powder and according to at least one site (google merengue powder dogs) it’s safe for dogs in moderation.
posted by valeries at 2:07 PM on January 5, 2019 [2 favorites]


As far as getting a smoother frosting that will fill holes - I'd try very gently heating it - just a few seconds at a time in the microwave - until it softens and gets easier to manipulate.

Then use something stiffer for your accents.
posted by bunderful at 2:25 PM on January 5, 2019


Response by poster: What kind of cream cheese are you using? Might whipped cream cheese be easier to pipe and manipulate?

Philadephia. And I should have mentioned, I actually do whip it.

I came to recommend meringue powder

OMG THAT'S A THING?!?!?! I suppose, looking at the ingredients, that I could just use cornstarch but meringue powder looks perfect.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:25 PM on January 5, 2019


Ha, apologies for the typo. Merengue <> Meringue! But glad you found it useful.
posted by valeries at 3:30 PM on January 5, 2019


Could also try xanthan gum
posted by wats at 3:55 PM on January 5, 2019 [1 favorite]


This post is giving me a category confusion. Is it cooking post or pets post? If it is a pets post, then the pet tax applies and we need to see photos of the dogs.
posted by matildaben at 7:59 PM on January 5, 2019 [5 favorites]


Response by poster: This post is giving me a category confusion. Is it cooking post or pets post? If it is a pets post, then the pet tax applies and we need to see photos of the dogs.

Will photos of the dogs who came this year for their Santapaws pictures do? Otherwise, we have Instagram of the best girls and boys.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:56 AM on January 6, 2019 [4 favorites]


Sounds like it might be a decent keto recipe too.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 2:06 PM on January 7, 2019


Response by poster: Update: meringue powder was a bust. This problem, as with most things dog-related, was solved with More Peanut Butter.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:38 AM on January 13, 2019 [1 favorite]


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