How to Make Liver Cake
This is the world's most popular homemade dog treat—and for good reason! It's incredibly simple to make, uses cheap, everyday ingredients, and your dog will absolutely love it.
Liver is easy to find in any supermarket (Morrisons is a great bet) or from your local butcher. The recipe calls for roughly 500g (about 1lb), but don't worry if your pack is a bit more or less—this recipe is very forgiving. If you don't have liver, you can easily swap it for other proteins like minced beef, kidney, heart, chicken livers, or even tuna!
This cake is perfect as a training treat, a special birthday cake, or even to sell at fairs. You can top it with cream cheese for a "frosting" or bake the mixture in a cupcake tray for individual pupcakes (check out my pupcake recipe for details).
For this recipe, you'll need a 9" cake tin. You can find one online here.
Equipment
- 1 9" Cake tin
Ingredients
- 500 g Liver (approx. 1lb, a standard pack)
- 2 Eggs
- 200 g Wholemeal flour (200g = 7 ounces)
- Splash of milk
Instructions
- Add the liver, the eggs and a splash of milk to a jug.
- And blend it. It should look a bit like a smoothie once done.
- Transfer the mix to a large bowl and add 200g (7oz) of flour
- Mix ingredients until it’s a thick sticky goo. You can add a bit more flour if it’s not thick enough. But it should be fine.
- Grease a cake tin with a little butter.
- Empty your mix into cake tin, making sure it’s level.
- Put cake tin into the middle of a preheated oven at 160ºC (320ºF/Gas Mark 3) and cook for about 45 mins.
- Right, it should now be cooked. Yummy!
- It’s easier to cut while it’s still warm.
- Cut into squares and fridge. Freeze what you won’t use in a few days.
- If your dog is like mine, she will have watched you the entire time.
Can you make this liver cake with oats instead of flour?
I have no idea, probably. I’m sure the dogs will eat it.
Can my pup who is 11 weeks have the liver cake now? Thanks
maybe just a little. liver is quite rich for young dogs
The powder is a concentrated and a bit salty, I’d use the real thing or just leave it out altogether.
ok cool, you can use any flour you want, but some flours require more water than others. I guess you’ll have to go buy how the dough feels prior to baking.
Hi ya, how long will these freeze for plewse
Since they are for dogs, pretty much forever.
What temp should oven be please, ?
160ºC (320ºF) Gas Mark 3
Do you know how long this would last if kept in fridge not the freezer?
Thank you!
Well, cause it’s for a dog, maybe a week at most, defo a few days anyway. If it looks or begins to smell then you know it’s past it’s best. I’ve never had to keep it in fridge for long, it gets eaten pretty fast.
Hello. If you freeze meats/ organs to make them easier to cut thinly do you then need to defrost before putting them in the dehydrator?
Many thanks.
the think strips will be semi defrosted by the time they are put on dehydrator so no.
I made my dog a couple of batches of liver cakes following your recipe.I used chicken & lambs liver (separately) & they went down a storm,she LOVES them.I now use the words “wanna get some CAKES?” to get my dog to come home without fuss!Thank You So Much!!!
Thanks Sally. I’ve done the same at Christmas putting them in glass jars, the dogs really like them. Thanks for letting me know.
I’ve got all the local wanting treats everytime I see them now.I made the 10 minute Tuna treats,the dogs all loved them frozen and defosted.I’m waiting on some silicone. Jelly moulds to make some ’emoji jelly babies’..I can’t wait to get them made!!Thanks so much for all your recipes,I’m going to attempt them all eventually..
Thanks Sally
Thank you so much for these recipes! I’ve just had a ‘baking for Emil’ day and have made liver cake, sardine oatcakes and dried chicken strips. He has thoroughly enjoyed helping me! Tomorrow we’re going to make bone broth jelly babies. Many thanks for sharing!
my understanding is that liver is very rich. i boil liver 15 mins. in water. cool a little. throw it in the food processor and after it’s done, add the same amount of pumpkin( this offsets the richness). make little patties ( quarter size?). oil a cookie sheet , or use parchment paper. cook on low oven(300?) for one hr. flip over for another hr. i keep some in the fridge and the rest in the freezer. i think i got the recipe from the Whole Dog Journal. haven’t met a dog yet that doesn’t like them.