Their gourmet cupcakes are decoratively drizzled with swirled toppings and parade flavors of homemade apple cinnamon, sweet potato pie and carob cranberry. They’re all-natural, wholesome, gluten-free—and not even made for humans.
Tails will wag as these treats curated for canines are well worth the bark, as My Best Friend’s Cupcakes bakes desserts for dogs with mini cupcakes, birthday and specialty cakes as well as breakfast offerings of muffins, raspberry waffles and apple cheddar bones for the pampered pooch in your life.
The Virginia Beach-based home bakery sells its cupcakes for chowhounds and other posh products for pups through its online shop, sourcing locally, using no preservatives and licensed and registered with the Department of Agriculture. Flours are organic and free of wheat and gluten for furry friends with allergies; fruits and vegetables are all natural and nutritious; peanut butter providing protein is organic; and yummy yogurt is made with Grade A milk.
Without a culinary pedigree or any eatery experience, the family-owned bakery knew that creating treats for critter companions would be an entirely different animal. “[We] did all of our own research, and we found out that there’s a lot of human-grade food that is beneficial for dogs,” remarks Dillon Jacobs, whose mother, Jackie Jacobs, founded My Best Friend’s Cupcakes. “We found common recipes for people, and we tweaked them to make them doggy compatible.”
My Best Friend’s Cupcakes was established after the Jacobs family lost their Golden Retriever to an aggressive cancer. While mourning and viewing a cupcake program on Food Network, Jackie was met with an epiphany to bake healthy comfort eats for dogs while costing out recipes to cater to different breeds. While promoting their bakery during outings, the family educates pet owners on their wholesome brand with their 2-year-old Golden Retriever Sammy, with a portion of proceeds donated to support breast cancer awareness and pet cancer awareness.
Embellishments of fire hydrants and bones adorn pineapple bacon and peanut butter banana cupcakes, a pair of favorite flavors dogs with unremitting appetites wolf down. Cakes are baked to commemorate birthdays, adoptions and graduations, while the “In The Dog House” bone-shaped cake layered in frosting is a pick-me-up for your four-legged friend to chew on.
My Best Friend’s Cupcakes’ products can be found online at MyBestFriendsCupcakes.com and Mrs. Bones at Town Center of Virginia Beach.
Ryan Miller
