Meat Dog Cake with sweet potato cream cheese frosting is a special treat for your furry friend! This homemade meatloaf cake is a great dog birthday cake. Perfect for dog birthday parties or to celebrate special occasions like Gotcha Day or holidays.
Your fur baby will smell all the layers of meaty goodness as you arrange and decorate this cake. Packed with healthy ingredients and smothered in a lovely mashed potato frosting, a dog meatloaf cake is a tasty treat for a doggie birthday cake that they will devour!
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- Why Bake a Cake for Your Dog
- Dog Birthday Cake
- Why You'll Love This Meat Cake Recipe
- Ingredients for a Dog Cake with Meat
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Equipment Needed
- How to Make Dog Cake with Meat
- Recipe Variations
- Serving Size
- How to Store Meat Cake
- How long does meat cake last?
- Can people eat this meat cake?
- Easy Homemade Dog Treats
- Meat Cake for Dogs
Why Bake a Cake for Your Dog
A special day and cake go hand in hand. Whether it’s your dog’s birthday, Gotcha Day, or a special holiday like National Dog Day, there’s no reason why your pup shouldn’t have cake.
The only thing is that traditional cake is loaded with sugar and may have ingredients harmful to dogs.
It’s best to bake a cake with dog-safe ingredients and no artificial sweeteners or flavorings. Those natural ingredients have many health benefits, including vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. And meat is a great source of protein, which is an important part of a dog’s diet.
The best part about making this easy dog cake recipe is that you get to pour your love into the cake and watch them gobble it up in happiness. It’s the perfect way to show your pup how much you care.
Dog Birthday Cake
When you care about your dog’s health but you still want to make them something special for their birthday, this recipe is the answer! This homemade treat is full of ingredients that are good for your dog.
The meat will help them build lean muscle. The veggies and mashed sweet potato will boost your dog’s immune system and nourish their skin and fur health. When you put it all together, this easy homemade dog cake looks like a three-layered masterpiece but it’s as healthy for your dog as their regular food.
You can even split up the ingredients and make dog cupcakes instead of a layered cake. Fill cupcake pans with the meat mixture and top them with the mashed sweet potatoes. It’s so easy to make this dog birthday cake recipe – and it’s so good for them too.
Why You’ll Love This Meat Cake Recipe
We all know about the dangers of flour and sugar for dogs. Even small amounts or a small piece of regular birthday cake could upset your dog’s stomach, mess up their blood sugar, or lead to weight gain. That’s why this cake is such a fantastic thing!
This healthy dog cake is a great option for dogs that don’t eat wheat, grain, or sugar. And if you have raw fed dogs, just don’t cook the meat. This delicious recipe makes a dog-friendly cake that just about all dogs are going to flip over!
Ingredients for a Dog Cake with Meat
This dog cake is made with ingredients that you probably already have at home! Here’s a bit more info about what you’ll use.
Here’s what you’ll need for the meat dog cake:
- Ground Turkey – The lean protein in ground turkey is great for your dog’s muscles.
- Ground Beef – Use the leanest beef you can find.
- Eggs – This will hold the meatloaf ingredients together.
- Oats – This adds bulk to the meatloaf and is great for gluten-sensitive dogs.
- Vegetables – Use your dog’s favorites. Most prefer peas and carrots.
- Fresh Parsley – This is a healthy herb and helps freshen a dog’s breath.
Here’s what you’ll need for the dog frosting and decorating the cake:
- Sweet Potatoes – Fresh is best, and avoid canned yams because they have added sugar.
- Cream Cheese – Either regular or low-fat.
- Crunchy Dog Biscuits – This adds a wonderfully crunchy texture to the topping.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Here are some of the easiest ingredient swaps that you can make.
For the meat, instead of a combo of ground turkey and beef, you can use one or the other, or substitute either with ground chicken.
Be sure to use dog-safe vegetables. Squash, peas, carrots, green beans, and broccoli are a few of the options. You can use fresh veggies, frozen ones (thawed), or canned ones without added salt.
For the oats, use either old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats. Do not use steel-cut oats.
You can substitute the sweet potatoes with 2 cups of plain pumpkin puree.
For decorating the cake, you can use fresh veggies. Green beans and carrot sticks make great “candles” if it’s for your furry friend’s birthday. You don’t have to crush the dog biscuits and you can use either homemade dog biscuits or store-bought ones.
Equipment Needed
You probably have most of the kitchen items you need to make the cake. But just in case, here’s a list of them:
- Measuring Cups – for measuring.
- Mixing Bowls – to mix the batter in.
- Hand Mixer – for mixing the batter and frosting.
- 6-inch Cake Pans – to bake the cake. Or use springform pans.
- Wire Cooling Rack – for cooling the cake layers.
How to Make Dog Cake with Meat
The entire recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here are some photos and steps again so you can see how I made it (this is great for visual learners).
To bake the cake layers:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch cake pans with coconut oil or spray them with non-stick cooking spray. Lining the bottom of the pans with parchment paper also helps with releasing the baked layers from the pan.
- Place ground turkey, ground beef, eggs, oats vegetables, and parsley in a large bowl.
- Mix until the ingredients are well combined.
- Divide the meat mixture evenly between the three pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until browned and the internal temperature is 165°F.
- Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cake layers to cool completely in the pans.
To make the frosting and frost the cake:
- Allow the cream cheese to soften to room temperature.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes to boiling water and boil until tender.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool completely.
- Place the cooked sweet potatoes and softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
- Using a mixer, combine the cream cheese and sweet potatoes until it has a smooth consistency.
- Once the cake layers have cooled, remove one layer of the cake from the pan and place it on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread frosting on top and repeat with the remaining layers.
- Spread frosting on the sides of the cake.
To decorate the cake:
- Place some crunchy dog biscuits in a plastic zip-top bag and seal the bag.
- Use a rolling pin to roll over the bag and crush the biscuits into small pieces.
- Sprinkle the dog pieces on the top of and around the cake.
Recipe Variations
Here are a couple of different ways to make this dog meat cake:
Loaf Cake – If you don’t have 6-inch cake pans, you can use a loaf pan and make it like a meatloaf. You will need to increase the baking time due to it being thicker. Be sure to bake it until the internal temp is 165°F.
Meat Cupcakes – Use a muffin pan instead of the cake pans. You may need to decrease the baking time, just check it after 20 minutes for doneness.
Serving Size
This recipe makes a 3 layer cake and a slice is more like a meal than a treat. If your dog loves meat, then feel free to replace their meal with a meal-sized portion of the meat cake.
Small dogs should only eat a small piece – maybe even one layer instead of all three. Larger dogs can eat 1 or 2 slices that include all three layers.
The best way to determine how much cake to give your dog is to look at how much food they eat at mealtime. For example, if your dog eats ¼ a cup of food, then give them a ¼ cup serving of cake.
How to Store Meat Cake
Because the cake is made with meat and the frosting has cream cheese, it must be stored in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap.
You can also freeze the cake. Wrap slices in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Or place the plastic-wrapped slices in a plastic freezer bag. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
How long does meat cake last?
The cake will last up to 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Can people eat this meat cake?
Yes! All of the ingredients in the cake are safe for human consumption. If you like meatloaf and sweet potatoes, this is a tasty cake to make for both you and your canine companion.
Easy Homemade Dog Treats
Want to make more special treats for your dog? Check out my easy dog dessert recipes:
- Apple Cupcakes for Dogs
- Carrot Cake for Dogs
- Carob Cake for Dogs
- Donuts for Dogs
- No Bake Dog Cake
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes for Dogs
- Pumpkin Cake for Dogs
Want to get some store-bought treats instead of making a doggy cake? Check out my favorite dog treats on Amazon.
I hope your dog enjoys the cake! Give belly rubs from me.
Meat Cake for Dogs
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 pound Ground Turkey
- ½ pound Lean Ground Beef
- 1 cup Old-fashioned Rolled Oats
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Diced Vegetables
- ¼ cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Frosting
- 2-3 large Sweet Potatoes
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese
Optional Topping
- Dog Biscuits
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 6-inch cake pans with non-stick spray or grease them with coconut oil.
- Place ground turkey, ground beef, eggs, oats, veggies, and parsley in a large bowl. Combine well.
- Divide the meat mixture evenly between the three pans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and has an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the baked layers from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pans on top of a wire rack.
Frosting
- Allow the cream cheese soften to room temperature.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes to boiling water and boil until tender.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and allow them to cool completely. Do not make the frosting with hot or warm sweet potatoes.
- Using a mixer or potato masher, combine the cream cheese and sweet potatoes well, until the mixture has a smooth consistency.
- Once cooled, remove one layer of the cake from the pan and place it on a serving plate or cake stand. Frost the top of the layer. Add another layer and frost the top. Add the third layer and frost the top and sides of the cake.
Topping
- Place dog biscuits in a plastic zip-top bag and seal the bag. Use a rolling pin to roll over the bag and crush the biscuits into small pieces.
- Sprinkle the dog biscuit pieces on the top of the cake.
- Slice and serve.
This looks amazing, but I do not have 6 inch pans; can 8 inch be substituted? Would you only do 2 layers or 1 layer?
Thank you in advance for your guidance.
To use an 8-inch round cake pan you would need to only put 3/4 of the meat mixture in the pan and put the remaining 1/4 in one or two ramekins. If you have a 9-inch round cake pan it would work great as a 1 layer cake.