Meat? Fish? Why choose when you can have both! This special celebration dog-friendly cake is a homemade surf’n’turf layer cake recipe. It’s made with dog-friendly meatloaf and fish cakes, decorated with mashed potato frosting. Here’s the dog birthday cake recipe and DIY details.
Surf'n'Turf Celebrations
For Humphrey’s 5th birthday dog party celebration, by popular request (including from Oli and Humphrey) we revisited the limited ingredient surf’n’turf dog cake made for Oli’s 13th birthday. This time, it was made in our preferred meatloaf style, like our layered lamb dog birthday cake. It takes slightly more effort to make two separate flavours, but the basic recipe is otherwise the same and both can be baked together.
The dogs were beyond excited with all of the smells whilst this birthday cake was being prepared, but be forewarned that you may want to have the windows open, weather permitting! And don’t get me started on the fridge after I made the error of popping the finished cake uncovered into the fridge temporarily before the pawty. Oh my… We’ll add that to my very long list of dog Momma lessons learned.
Layered Surf'n'Turf Dog Birthday Cake Recipe
Dog Birthday Cake with Layered Fish and Beef Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Frosting
Layering and frosting this cake are optional. The recipe below fits two mini-springform pans, as pictured, but can be made in different pans or as meaty muffins or meatballs, if you prefer. If you want a single flavoured double layer cake instead, you can double the ingredients for your preferred layer flavour except for the egg – one will still be plenty.
Cake Ingredients:
Surf Fish Cake Layer:
- Approximately 200g lean / non-oily fish, finely chopped or ground (I used a food processor)
- 1/2 cup wholegrain oats (or equivalent substitute)
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbsp ground flax or LSA (optional)
- 1 tbsp dried parsley (optional)
Turf Beef Cake Layer:
- Approximately 200g lean ground beef (or other meat of your preference)
- 1/2 cup wholegrain oats (or equivalent substitute)
- 1 egg
- 1-2 tbsp ground flax or LSA (optional)
Optional Frosting and Decorations:
- Cooled cooked mashed potato
- Water to adjust the consistency of the potato if/as needed
- Optional dog-friendly edible decorations or garnish. I used a sprinkle of hemp hearts.
Making the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180C (or local equivalent) and gather together your baking ingredients and materials. Lightly oil your pan(s).
- Combine the cake ingredients in two separate mixing bowls, one for each layer flavour.
- Press the separate mixture firmly into your prepared pans, one for each layer. Try to flatten the tops for easier layering. There is no need to leave expansion room as these cakes will not change in size during baking.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes (time will depend on size), until cooked thoroughly. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and then refrigerate to cool thoroughly. You can release and reclip your springform after the initial cooling, if using, to reduce sticking.
Decorating the Cake (Optional):
- When thoroughly cooled, remove from the pans.
- Construct your layer cake, applying mashed potato frosting between each layer.
- Frost the exterior with additional mashed potato, garnish (optional) to decorate, and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Pampered pooches might enjoy their slice of cake warmed slightly for extra smell and flavour. Although that fish layer has plenty of smell no matter what, even for my human nose. Haha!
Dog-Friendly Cake Making Tips and Tricks
- See our comprehensive post on homemade birthday and special occasion dog cakes for additional information on types of cakes, decorating ideas, storage, and more.
- Cakes can be baked into other shapes and sizes. Remember to adjust your cooking times and/or temperatures accordingly.
- Meatloaf cakes can be made in advance stored (refrigerated short term, frozen longer term) and then decorated for the party. Leftovers can be cut into bite-sized snacks and refrigerated or frozen.
Recipe and Ingredient Tips and Tricks
- Not in the mood to mash? Instant mashed potato makes a very quick and easy option for frosting / icing dog cakes. It has a nice smooth consistency and can be easily adjusted to be thinner (additional liquid) or thicker (additional flakes).
- Garnish is, of course, optional. I used a little sprinkle of hemp hearts. Other ideas include grated cheese, crumbled cooked bacon, dog jerky, or even ready-made treats or kibble. Tinted panko or oats can be used as a dog-friendly rainbow sprinkle substitute.
- See our intro post on making birthday and special occasion dog cakes for different frosting and decorating ideas, or browse through the other DIY dog cakes and pupcakes for ideas.
Hungry for more tasty treats? There are all sorts of homemade dog treat ideas in our blog archives. You can use the category and tag labels to find other recipes that might be of interest or use our internal search tools to find something specific. Remember, treats (bought or homemade) are for spoiling your pup in moderation. We share ideas from treats that we’ve made ourselves for our pets, but different animals have different preferences (likes/dislikes), just like people. Some pets may have special dietary requirements and/or food allergies/intolerances. If you are ever in doubt or have questions about what’s suitable for your pet, have a chat with your trusted vet.
