Yesterday we shared our dog, Basil's, 4th birthday photo roundup post with a sneak peek of this doggie birthday cake we made for him. Yes, we made him a cake and yes, my dad texted me today after scrolling through yesterday's post to heckle me about how much we spoil the boy — and yes, Mary says bake Basil a cake and that is just what happens — no questions:
If you're anything like us and love to spoil your pups, we're sharing the birthday cake recipe today to help spread the canine birthday love and well wishes! The cake is a bit of a mind trick — it looks just like a sweet dessert, but is made entirely of dog-friendly human-grade savory ingredients like beef, eggs, vegetables and oats. Think of it like a cake shaped Shepard's pie that you can slice pieces of as a special treat or meal supplement.
We found the original inspiration for the cake in this dog birthday cake roundup over on Napa's Daily Growl, adapting the recipe for what we know Basil likes best and a slightly smaller size.
Please Note: as with all treats, it's best to let your pups enjoy while under your supervision. Different dogs react differently to ingredients, so keep a running list of your pup's allergies, avoiding those ingredients when making homemade treats. Similarly, dogs tolerate hot and cold treat temperatures differently, you know your dog best.
Ingredients:
- Round mini baking tins (we used two of these 4"x1.25" baking tins
) - 1 pound organic ground beef
- 1 organic egg
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, plus more for decorating
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese
- Large potato (white or sweet variety)
Mary found a 3 pack of mini 4"x1.25" round baking tins (like these
), perfect for making individual tarts and cakes that we used for this project, but any small baking tins will do. We originally planned to stack 3 layers to make the cake, but quickly realized two would be plenty when they came out of the oven (and it was close to lunch, so we ate that 3rd patty instead).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, chop and lay potato into a saucepan. Cover with water, bringing to a boil, then reducing heat to cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. These will later be mashed and used as the cake's "frosting."
While oven is preheating and potatoes are boiling, combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl, as if you were making a meatloaf. Divide mixture among greased baking tins, flattening the surface.
Place baking tins on a cookie sheet (to catch any drips) and bake in oven for 40 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Meanwhile, drain cooked potatoes and mash until smooth, adding water or broth if needed.
Once cooked, remove meat tins from oven and allow to cool along with the mashed potatoes. Now we're ready to assemble and frost this canine cake — and it's gonna get a little messy before it gets pretty...
Spoon and shape mashed potatoes between and over two of the meat cakes to cover. Make sure to get a thick layer in between the two cakes to get the look of a frosted center. Once completely covered, smooth with the back of the spoon to get a rough and rustic frosted look. Let's be honest, your dog won't care if it doesn't look perfect.
Use the remaining peas to decorate the cake with. Mary lined two rings around the top of the cake and another layer at the base. You could use all sorts of dog-friendly veggies to add color and different designs:
We topped Basil's cake with 4 candles and sang him Happy Birthday (well, Mary started to sing and I just could not bring myself to partake), but quickly blew them out before allowing him to get a first sniff.
As with most 4-year olds, he patiently waited and watched while we cut his first big slice of birthday cake:
He gave it two paws up! And....I'll admit, the cake was so good, we each tried a little slice ourselves! The first slice made for a pretty post and from here on out he has just been getting a little extra during his normal meals, if you now what I mean.
Ok, let the "we are crazy" comments commence. We are ready!
Discover More:
All Dog Treat Recipes | Basil's 4th Birthday Post
