Healthy, Homemade Dog Cake

by Leave a Comment

a bone shaped cake with blue piped icing around the edge, coloured sprinkles and a clay modelled cavoodle cake topper.

This delicious baked meatloaf cake is healthy, homemade and sure to get your pup’s tail wagging.

This delicious recipe is the brainchild of Teddy’s “auntie” Dionne (she of the tasty turkey sticks fame.) Dionne will be the first to admit that she’s not a masterchef of human cuisine but trust me when I tell you, this lady is the Queen of Dog Treats!

She made a version of this cake for Teddy’s 3rd birthday and Scotch and Teddy went wild for it. Some might say Teddy Roosevelt is a fussy eater but I like to say he’s discerning! Whatever adjective you use, let’s just say my dog is very selective about what he eats.

a cavoodle and labradoodle sitting on a brown leather sofa looking at a bone shaped meat cake

He’s not a massive fan of flour based cakes but a meat cake is a concept he can totally get on board with. Best of all this cake not only tastes good to pups but it’s good for them too – packed full of lean protein, eggs, pumpkin and chia seeds.

I’ve never seen Teddy as enthusiastic about cake as he was about this one and I knew that this recipe was too good not to share. Dionne was clever enough to model her cake into a bone shape but I’m not that creative so I invested in a bone shaped silicone mould instead.

apricot cavoodle sitting on a coffee table wearing a glittery blue crown with a number 3 next to a bone shaped cake with a number 3 candle

A silicone mould is easy to use, easy to clean and it doesn’t require any greasing or lining. Of course, you can use any baking tin you like or if you have a preferred shape, you can place the mixture onto a baking tray and freestyle it into the shape you desire!

Once Teddy Roosevelt gave this cake his paw of approval, I knew that I had to recreate it for his 3rd birthday/farewell pawty. My friend Jesseline came out of clay modelling retirement to make this exquisite cake topper which as it’s name suggests is the tops!

a bone shaped cake with piped blue icing, covered in sprinkles, with a number 3 candle and a clay cavoodle cake topper

I used a mashed potato “buttercream” to decorate the cake and I’ve included instructions for the mash both for the stove top and the Thermomix. For a quicker and easier option, do as Dionne did and simply top with some mashed sweet potato and decorate with your pup’s favourite treat (in Teddy’s case, crushed dehydrated chicken breast.)

cavoodle wearing blue frangipani hawaiian shirt and blue birthday crown sitting next to a bone shaped birthday cake

Personally I try to avoid human food colouring for dogs so I use “naked” potato buttercream and spirulina (green or blue) to colour the ‘icing.’ You can top things off with some doggy sprinkles if you like.

one rough and one smooth brussels griffon staring at a paper plate with some cake on it
photo credit: @jellybean.thegriff

However, you decorate this masterpiece, seeing the smile on your pup’s face when it eats it will be the icing on the cake! Teddy’s pawty guests certainly appawroved!

Have you ever made a dog birthday cake? Any fussy eaters in your family?

small white dog wearing a blue bow tie with his mouth open being fed a bite sized piece of cake
photo credit: @chubbs_remembering_angel

Ingredients

200g butternut pumpkin, mashed

2 x 400g packs turkey breast mince

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons of chia seeds

FOR THE POTATO BUTTERCREAM

500g potatoes

1-2 tablespoons natural Greek yoghurt

bone shaped dog cake topped with sprinkles, a number 3 candle and a cavoodle clay cake topper
photo credit: @notquitenigella

How to make the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. If using a loaf tin, grease and line it. If you are using a silicone mould, there is no need to grease.
  3. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands, until thoroughly combined.
  4. Place into baking tin or silicone mould. Smooth top. If using a silicone mould, place the filled mould on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to put in and take out of the oven.)
  5. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until set and cooked through.
  6. When the loaf is cool enough to handle, carefully remove from the tin or mould and allow to cool before decorating.

To make the potato buttercream – Traditional

  1. Boil, steam or microwave potato until very soft.
  2. Add yoghurt and whip with an electric beater until smooth and fluffy.
  3. Add a little water until you have a soft, spreadably consistency, just like human buttercream.
  4. Use when warm as the icing will “set” as it cools. Apply to top and sides of cake and smooth with a palette knife.
  5. Set some frosting aside and add a sprinkle of spirulina and stir until desired colour and smooth consistency is achieved. Place in a piping bag and pipe decorations around the edge of the cake. Decorate with doggy sprinkles if you like.

To make the potato buttercream – Thermomix

  1. Chop potatoes into 1-2cm pieces.
  2. Place in TM bowl and add about 110g of water.
  3. Cook on 100C for 20 minutes on speed 1 or until potatoes are soft and water is absorbed.
  4. Insert butterfly, add yoghurt and whip for 30 seconds on speed 4.
  5. You should have a soft, spreadably consistency, just like human buttercream. If the potato is too firm, add a little water to loosen it up.
  6. Use when warm as the icing will “set” as it cools. Apply to top and sides of cake and smooth with a palette knife.
  7. Set some frosting aside and add a sprinkle of spirulina and stir until desired colour and smooth consistency is achieved.. Place in a piping bag and pipe decorations around the edge of the cake. Decorate with dog friendly sprinkles if you like.
A Brussels Griffen dog eating cake
photo credit: @jellybean.thegriff